Transform! Designing the Future of Energy at the Vitra Design Museum

XTU Architects, X_Land, Rendering, 2020 © XTU Architects

Ed Kashi, Petroleum Pipeline, Okrika Town, Nigeria, 2006 © Ed Kashi/VII/Redux

Energy is the main driving force of our society; energy is political, energy is invisible, energy is omnipresent. All of the buildings, infrastructure and products related to the generation, distribution and utilization of energy are created by human beings. Consequently, design plays a key role in the current transition to renewable energy. The exhibition »Transform! Designing the Future of Energy« shines a light on the transformation of the energy sector from the perspective of design: from everyday products that use renewable energy to the design of solar houses and wind power stations; from smart mobility systems to futuristic visions of self-sufficient cities.

New in town: Spreepark Art Space

Eierhäuschen. Photo: Frank Sperling © Spreepark Art Space

Art and About on April 30, 2023 at Spreepark. Photo: Frank Sperling © Spreepark Art Space

raumlaborberlin, Flamingos, 2023. Photo: Frank Sperling © Spreepark Art Space

Twenty years ago, the amusement park in Berlin’s Plänterwald forest closed, leaving nature to reclaim its abandoned grounds and rides. In anticipation of a new public park, the platform “Spreepark Art Space” integrates the crossover of art and nature as fundamental to the Spreepark’s development concept. It is set to launch in March 2024 together with the inauguration of Eierhäuschen, a recently renovated 19th century building, which will host exhibitions on landscape, nature, architecture, and public space.

Welcoming a new treasure trove at the Vitra Design Museum

Hella Jongerius in her studio, Preparations for the relocation of the archive, © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2024 / Vitra Design Museum, photo: Roel van Tour

Hella Jongerius in her studio, Preparations for the relocation of the archive, © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2024 / Vitra Design Museum, photo: Roel van Tour

The Vitra Design Museum received the Hella Jongerius Archive. Hella Jongerius is one of the leading designers of the last few decades. Her work encompasses textiles, furniture, ceramics and interior design, as well as an internationally acclaimed artistic practice. Now, her extensive archive is being placed into the hands of the Vitra Design Museum, where it will be preserved for future generations and made accessible for research, alongside other archives and collections of iconic designers such as Charles & Ray Eames, Alexander Girard and Verner Panton.

Documenting Documenta

Kostas Tsioukas performing “Collective exhibition for a Single Body” by Pierre Bal Blanc © Faliro House Productions

Marta Minujín, The Parthenon of Books, 2017. Kassel, Germany © Faliro House Productions

Edvine Larssen, Adam Szymczyk with “Verging”, 2016 © Faliro House Productions

“exergue – on documenta 14” follows artistic director Adam Szymczyk and his team over the span of two years as they develop “Learning from Athens,” the first documenta to be held in two cities: its hometown of Kassel and Athens. documenta 14 divided the opinions of art critics worldwide. The film, narrated in fourteen chapters, an unprecedented document in itself, invites audiences to a 14-hours behind-the-scenes observation of the institutional art world and the people who participate in a shifting cultural, political and economic landscape. The film is directed by Dimitris Athiridis and produced by Faliro House.
 
“exergue – on documenta 14” will be part of this year’s Berlinale International Film Festival and screen in the Berlinale Specials program over the course of two days.

A house so nice they gabled it twice

© Clemens Poloczek

© Clemens Poloczek

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

Ewald Gnilka, Hans Uhlmann in his atelier, around 1954 © Rechtsnachfolger*innen Ewald Gnilka; for the works by Hans Uhlmann: © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2023

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

Jeff Wall, Milk, 1984. Sammlung FRAC Champagne-Ardenne, Reims © Jeff Wall

Jeff Wall, After ‘Invisible Man’ by Ralph Ellison, the Prologue, 1999–2000. Emanuel Hoffmann-Stiftung, Depositum in der Öffentlichen Kunstsammlung Basel © Jeff Wall

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

Diana Cepleanu Autoportret,1995 oil on canvas, Photo: Trevor Good, Courtesy the artist and Plan B Cluj, Berlin

Diana Cepleanu, Punga de Plastic (Plastic Bag), 2003, Photo: Trevor Good,  Courtesy the artist and Plan B Cluj, Berlin

Grete Csaki-Copony, Selbstporträt bei Segal, n.d.(1931/1932) oil on paper, Photo: Trevor Good, Courtesy the artist and Plan B Cluj, Berlin

autoportret is a group exhibition in three parts focusing on the expressive qualities of paintings made by women from the Carpathian region over the past century until today. The exhibition brings together works by artists connected not only through geography but also through a strong and expressive approach to painting. The title autoportret (self-portrait) delves beyond the human image frequently depicted in the paintings, extending its meaning to encompass the intimate perspective of the world reflected in each artist’s work. It comprises a personal gaze on immediate surroundings that carries a universal validity.

 

Production Hall by Atelier ST

Mühle Shaving, Atelier ST, Photo: Simon Menges

Mühle Shaving, Atelier ST, Photo: Simon Menges

Mühle Shaving, Atelier ST, Photo: Simon Menges

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

Installation view, »Tsuyoshi Tane: The Garden House«, © Vitra Design Museum, Photo: Mark Niedermann

Installation view, »Tsuyoshi Tane: The Garden House«, © Vitra Design Museum, Photo: Mark Niedermann

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

Cécile Feilchenfeldt, Knitted Hat Project, Photo: © Aurélie Cenno

Anne Fischer, David Dott, Gefäß aus Bronze neben Bacchus-Bronze 2022, Photo: © Anne Fischer

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, RambaZamba Theater & Tomás Saraceno, Foto: Phillip Zwanzig

“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.

Get your Tickets here. 

Less energy, more culture

Ventilation Technology – Jüdisches Museum Berlin © Kilian Schneider

District Heating – Jüdisches Museum Berlin © Kilian Schneider

Less energy, more culture is the ethos driving the Aktionsnetzwerk Nachhaltigkeit. It is the main contact point for corporate ecology in culture and media to actively promote the energy transition in the cultural sector. Urgently needed, because an average-sized cultural venue consumes around 1,000,000 kWh (theatres) to 15,000,000 kWh (museums) of electricity and energy per year. This corresponds to the annual energy consumption of around 850 three-person households per cultural site. Sprint20 provides practical knowledge: a comprehensive checklist and cost-neutral energy consultations to help cultural institutions to quickly and efficiently consume 20% less energy. And that’s good for everyone: the less money is spent on energy, the more is saved for content.

Kino International: Watching 60 Years of Transition

Kino International Panorama Bar © Yorck Kinogruppe, DanielHorn

Kino International Außenansicht © Yorck Kinogruppe, DanielHorn

Kino International Saal © Yorck Kinogruppe, DanielHorn

Berlin’s “Kino International” ranks among the world’s most striking film theaters, boasting iconic modernist architecture born during the brief era of the post-Stalin Thaw. In addition to its festive foyer overlooking Karl-Marx-Allee, it once accommodated a public library and a youth club. To celebrate 60 moving years, Yorck Kinogruppe invites everyone to explore its unique history and architecture before a two-year renovation starting next spring.

BY THE ARTISTS FOR SWISS ARTISTS

Cahier d’Artiste by Patricia Bucher, supported by Pro Helvetia, published by Jungle Books, 2023 

Cahier d’Artiste by Rhona Mühlebach, supported by Pro Helvetia, published by Jungle Books, 2023 

Cahier d’Artiste by David Knuckey, supported by Pro Helvetia, published by Jungle Books, 2023 

8 artists, 8 publications, 1 programme: On the occasion of the 6th edition of Cahier d’Artistes by ProHelvetia, the non-for-profit association The Artists has organised for the first time a series of talks, performances, readings and screenings throughout Switzerland. Central to the presentations of this year’s featured artists are the unique books they realised with the independent publisher Jungle Books.