Scharaun — Project Space for Art and Architecture

Current Exhibition
04. July — 18. July 2024

Can you imagine living in a place that was once an island?

Opening reception
Thu 4 Jul, 6-9 pm

Inselbar is serving Margaritas

Die Möglichkeit einer Insel
Inselstrasse 7
10179 Berlin

The exhibition „Can you imagine living in a place that was once an island?“ is the starting point of a series running over a period of three years beginning in Berlin in 2024, traveling to Mexico City in 2025 and concluding in Los Angeles in 2026 in collaboration with the festival B-LA-M. <-

The main exhibition which will open on Thursday, 4th of July 2024 at „Die Möglichkeit einer Insel“ taking its title from a video by Mexico City collective „Bienal Tlatelolca“. The selected artists from Mexico City will be represented exclusively with video works documenting the historical layers of Mexico City and beyond. UOOORS collective from Los Angeles will be presenting nine artistic positions showing their different photographic approach in a special installation format. The images are challenging similar questions from the point of view of the urban sprawl, architectural transitions and the density of living in Los Angeles.

with Bienal Tlatelolca (MEX Artists): Daniel Noreña and Arturo Hernández Alcázar, Morelos León Celis, Balam Bartolomé, Antonio Monroy. UOOORS Collective (LA Artists): Ellen Friedlander, Fatemeh Burns, Juri Knoll, Mei Xian Qiu, Poul Lange, Aline Mare, Neal Taylor, Michael Miller, Marjan Vayghan

Curated by Stephanie Kloss (Die Möglichkeit einer Insel) and Jaro Straub (Scharaun)

Exhibition
4 Jul - 18 Jul, 2024

Gallery hours
Fri - Sun, 2 - 6 pm
Die Möglichkeit einer Insel
Inselstrasse 7
10179 Berlin

Scharaun is an interdisciplinary project space for art and architecture in Berlin Siemensstadt.The exhibition space is located in an apartment complex from the 1930s, which was built by the architect Hans Scharoun for the workers of the nearby Siemens factories. Together with his wife Aenne, Scharoun lived and worked in an apartment inside the same building from 1930 to 1960.

01 Kitchen

Although no photographs of the kitchen in its original state have survived, due to its limited dimension, it is to be assumed that a Frankfurt kitchen was installed. In later projects Scharoun continuously used the compact built-in model of a kitchen. The original floor plan also shows that a hatch or passageway to the dining area, which later maybe got rebuild.

02 Living space

The east-west oriented living room is illuminated from the flower window as well as from the balcony. The "durchgesteckte Zimmer" replaced the classic corridor supply. The room was originally divided into dining and living area, with the dining area located directly in front of the flower window.

03 Bathroom

The original floor plan shows that Scharoun planned the bathroom including the bathtub. What seems normal today was a rare luxury in 1930, which was only made possible by the local block heating station (Blockheizkraftwerk) supplying the house. Due to the central heat supply, the previously standard charcoal stove becomes obsolete.

04 Children's room / Archive

The room labeled as "Kammer" in the original floor plan, must have been used as a children's room in most cases. By today's standards, 12 square meters for a children's room are rather scarce, but in co-use with the spacious living area, the concept offers adequate individual space for every family member.

05 Bedroom

The spacious bedroom has direct access to the loggia. The window front offers a straight view of the Jungfernheideweg and the small park area in front of the building designed by landscape architect Leberecht Migge.

06 Flower window

The generous flower window connects the green courtyard – the outer – with the interior zone of the apartment. Scharoun's use of the flower window was not only based on an aesthetic consideration, but also increased a quality for the apartment in terms of both energy and room climate.

07 Loggia

The enclosed loggia is accessible from both the living room and the bedroom, thus extending the living area.