The Pavilion of the Republic of Kosovo at the 60th Venice Biennale presents a sculptural installation by Doruntina Kastrati titled The Echoing Silences of Metal and Skin, which addresses feminized labor and workplace inequality. Investigating the joint deindustrialization of the economy and deregulation of the market, Kastrati encounters the (im)material forms of precarious employment in light industries in the aftermath of the 1999 Kosovo War. The installation draws on the oral histories conducted with female employees of a Turkish delight factory in Prizren (Kosovo) and consists of four freestanding metal sculptures alluding to the surgical implants, many need to undergo as a result of working in a standing position. Charged with symbolic meaning, the pavilion honor first-person narratives and create incisive associations between exploitative labor practices and the embodiment of foreign metal on the worker’s knees.
AN ARCHIVE FOR MODERN GLASS
And Yet, It Works! – The Werksviertel München
Transform! Designing the Future of Energy at the Vitra Design Museum
New in town: Spreepark Art Space
Welcoming a new treasure trove at the Vitra Design Museum
Documenting Documenta
A house so nice they gabled it twice
With DUPLEX, Atelier ST architects have reimagined the epitome of German residential architecture: the gabled house. Following the motto ‘two is better than one,’ they merged two narrow gabled houses into one. A clever move that allowed them to adhere to the building lines of the suburban neighborhood while efficiently addressing the spatial program. Beyond the apparent simplicity of the outer shell of dual elongated volumes, the interior unfolds into a complex sequence of interconnected spaces and levels – breaking away from the conventional (double) standards of a detached house estate.
Hans Uhlmann: modern art in post-war Berlin
Hans Uhlmann’s (1900–1975) metal sculptures, like his drawings, were a distinctive feature of post-war modern art in Germany. And yet, his works are still largely unknown to the broader public. After 1945 the graduate engineer decided to devote his career entirely to art and took on large-scale projects, including the sculptures outside the Deutsche Oper and in the Hansa Quarter. The exhibition at the Berlinische Galerie, opening in February 2024, traces the periods of his oeuvre from the 1930s up until the 1970s, bringing together about 80 exhibits.
JEFF WALL at Fondation Beyeler
Featuring more than 50 works spanning five decades, Fondation Beyeler’s solo show on Canadian Artist Jeff Wall (b. 1946) presents a comprehensive overview of his ground-breaking oeuvre. The exhibition includes his iconic large-scale transparencies displayed in lightboxes, alongside his large-format black-and-white photographs and inkjet colour prints. Conceived in close collaboration with the artist, the exhibition places particular emphasis on works produced in the last two decades, among them photographs on public view for the first time.
The self and the universal at Galeria Plan B
Production Hall by Atelier ST
Designed by Atelier ST architects, the new production hall of family company Mühle is nestled in the Ore Mountains. With 80 years of experience and having earned global acclaim among refined shavers, the company essence is perfectly captured by the building design — blending local craftsmanship with industrial precision, seamlessly integrating tradition with modernity. The expansive glass facade, framed by sharp-edged aluminum profiles, offers glimpses into the manufacturing process inside. Warmth pervades the atmosphere, courtesy of the timber construction, in a harmonious synthesis of tradition and modernity in a design that is delicately nuanced and quite literally cutting edge.
How to build a Garden House
The most recent exhibition at Vitra Design Museum explores how the Garden House by Japanese architect Tsuyoshi Tane came into being. For the creation of the Vitra Campus’ newest addition which opened this past summer, Tane meticulously researched the region’s traditional craftsmanship and natural resources, as well as closely collaborated with local artisans. By retracing his process, the show presents study models, architectural mock-ups, and drawings, allowing us to glimpse into the architect’s creative thinking and approach to sustainable building techniques.
Meet the Maker at MK&G
Aside from exhibiting design excellence, the annual MK&G Messe acts as a platform for both renowned craftspeople and young talent to come together, exchange ideas, spark artistic dialogue, and promote the importance of contemporary crafts in an international spectrum. With an increasing interest in crossover and cross-genre positions, the fair showcases the work of well-known and emerging designers as well as fresh perspectives from a variety of disciplines such as ceramics, glass art, and jewelry design.
AEROCIRCUS TAKES OVER HAUS DER BERLINER FESTSPIELE
“aerocircus — a circusesque carnival with prairie wagons that defy all linearity” brings the discourse surrounding the climate crisis to an inclusive theatre production. Against the backdrop of a spatial concept designed by Tomás Saraceno, the RambaZamba Theatre troupe gradually grow to accept a ruined planetary habitat. Premiering at Haus der Berliner Festspiele on December 5th, 2023.