Alter-Projects is thrilled to present Art Extravaganza, a public art trail, which celebrates, honours and reflects on the cultural legacy of Berlin. The result of a commission on behalf of Brookfield Properties and curation by Alter-Projects, Art Extravaganza is to be unveiled on Potsdamer Platz, Berlin on the 15th of September, with the participation of eight renowned international and German artists, including but not limited to Esra Gülmen, Damien Poulain, Yuri Suzuki and Claudia Wieser.
Presented by Brookfield Properties and Arts Brookfield, and curated by Alter-Projects, Art Extravaganza is Berlin’s newest outdoor/indoor art trail, with a series of installations across Berlin’s notorious square. Following two years of a global Pandemic, Art Extravaganza invites Berliners to celebrate their freedom on Potsdamer Platz, much like their predecessors did at the exact same location during the 1920s.
Further, Art Extravaganza explores what the 21st-century version of this epic centre of entertainment might hold for Berliners in the near and far future. What new scenarios for enjoyment and entertainment will Potsdamer Platz see as society gradually becomes more liberal, and taboos surrounding designs for entertainment, enjoyment and celebration continue to lift?
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Book of the Month - Daft Punk 'We Were The Robots'Art Extravaganza will be unveiled parallel to the 2022 edition of Berlin’s Art Week, inviting local Berliners and travellers alike to indulge in their freedoms in what was known as one of Europe’s most pivotal centres of entertainment. Often described as the equivalent of Paris’ Moulin Rouge, Potsdamer Platz has long drawn both locals and foreigners with its plethora of venues. Once the site of numerous ballrooms, a large cinema and the largest café in Europe, visitors came from near and far to see and be seen.
“Following the great success of our previous public art projects in London, including Wander Art and Sonic Bloom, Art Extravaganza acts as an intrinsic celebration of Berlin, its heritage and its inhabitants. In a sense, we are bringing art and culture back to the heart of the city, following two years of isolation. This project establishes Berlin as a platform for art and community to collide, bringing locals and visitors together in the creation of a diverse and welcoming community” states Anne-Laure Pingreoun, founder of Alter-Projects, further mentioning that “the artists involved come together to provide a bespoke offering for all Berliners.”
Whilst Karl L. Wambach, Executive Vice President of Europe for Brookfield Properties, and Manager of Potsdamer Platz, states “We are delighted to bring art and culture into Potsdamer Platz with a collection of local and internationally renowned artists exploring how art can celebrate the opening of The Playce and welcome the community into our new space.”
Below is a full list of the artists taking part in the project, their work and the location in which it will be displayed:
Esra Gülmen, Esravaganza World: Entrance Street Gate: Varian-Fry-street
Berlin-based Turkish artist, Esra Gülmen, turns Potsdamer Platz into her very own playground through Esravaganza World, which is composed of larger-than-life versions of her most iconic artworks mixed with her latest pieces. Her work is inspired by everyday life, pop culture, and Berlin’s queer scene and is placed at the entrance gate to Potsdamer Platz.
Claudia Wieser, Performance: Indoor Vitrine, Eichhornstraße 5
Wieser’s work consists of a large amalgamation of her iconic geometric constructions, including a mirror cube, neon reliefs and a curtain that divides the space into a sculptural setting. The title plays with the concept of the stage and alludes to the performances that took place and will take place on Potsdamer Platz in the future.
Yuri Suzuki, Sonic Seating: North Entrance The Playce and Fontaneplatz
Through Sonic Seating, the Japanese artist, designer and musician reflects on the impact of the urban environment and audible communication on communal bonds and connections. This project invites people to sit on the street furniture as well as use it as a communication device to interact and engage with the surrounding environment.
Mischer’traxler, Breathing Chandeliers: Indoor, first floor The Playce
Mischer’traxler Studio’s Breathing Chandeliers are made of five large kinetic chandeliers in Colorama fabrics provided by Silent Gliss and placed along a 200-meter-long glass ceiling. The work takes its inspiration from the grandness of the Potsdamer Platz’s 1920s ballrooms, whilst honouring the city’s multicultural community through the chandelier’s shapes.
Jordan Söderberg Mills, Infinite Self: Indoor, first-floor entrance The Playce
Through his work, Jordan wanted to create something that plays in the gaps between perception and reality – alluding to the fact that the things we see aren’t necessarily true, or even real. With this work, he opens a window to the multiverse, and peers into the subtle, gradient infinities that surround us.
Carnovsky, Landscape n.1: Indoor, lower level The Playce
With Landscape n.1, the viewer is immersed in an enchanted forest that gradually turns into an architectural interior. The exterior reverses in the interior and the vanishing point of the columns and the perspective planes expand the space, multiplying it to the infinite.
Sebastian Haslauer, Die Nacht Glüht Auf In Kilowatts: Indoor, lower level The Playce
Haslauer draws a wide chronological arc back to the Weimar Republic and shows us Potsdamer Platz in the roaring 1920s as the epicentre of Berlin’s nightlife. He combines this with the glowing promises of contemporary Berlin’s entertainment culture and the vision of a Potsdamer Platz of the future.
Damien Poulain, The Potsdamer Platz Birds: indoor, lower level The Playce
Poulain’s work takes the form of a series of three sculptures and large-scale prints, inspired by Potsdamer Platz’s historic and contemporary buildings. Dream creatures rendered in architectural shapes, the birds are totemic guardians of the place and witnesses of past, present and future. The birds hold the secrets of the unseen and the key to the Platz’s soul.
Opening to the public on 15 September, Art Extravaganza stages a major cultural intervention in the heart of Berlin, inviting people to delve into their freedoms and connect with the site that once was one of Europe’s most exciting scenes. Art Extravaganza is open to all visitors free of charge.
Alter-Projects are curators, cultural place makers and producers passionate about storytelling, design and innovation. Specialized in the creativity and execution of unique cultural programming across the world, Alter-Projects connects districts, property developers and institutions with designers, and artists.
Founded by Anne-Laure Pingreoun, Alter-Projects work with exceptionally creative talents to find new ways of developing disruptive and unconventional content. https://www.alter-projects.com/
