What happens when art merges with science, and light itself becomes the artist’s medium? Entering the giant turbine hall of Kraftwerk Berlin for Refik Anadol’sexhibition “Latent Being”, you see it revealed: an otherworldly audiovisual experience, astounding in its depth and scale. Presented as an immersive journey through four chapters, this is data-driven art, using machine intelligence as well as visitors’ movements to create ever changing digital “paintings”. This dazzling work marks the launch of the Light Art Space (LAS), a foundation dedicated to the connections between art, new technologies and science. Alongside the light show is LAS+, an interdisciplinary program featuring a multimedia show from Berlin-based duo Amnesia Scanner(30.11.2019, 21h) and AI-influenced sounds from composer, musician and sound artist Holly Herndon, performing together with long-time collaborator Mathew Dryhurst (06.12.2019, 21h). Together, the three works show you the cutting edge of man-machine artistry. (Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Refik Anadol Studio, Camille Blake, Amnesia Scanner and PWR, Holly Herndon – PROTO, Boris Camaca, Courtesy of the artists)

Kraftwerk Berlin, Köpenicker Str.70, 10179 Berlin–Mitte; map
Refik Anadol “Latent Being”, 23.11.2019–05.01.2020
Tickets for Amnesia Scanner here.
Tickets for Holly Herndon here.
@lightartspace

Icelandic music is known for having no reservations about crossing genres or crossing oceans and borders – this time all the way to the heart of Berlin for “Sounds of Iceland“, a four-day festival at Konzerthaus Berlin. Starting next week (14.–17.11.2019) the beautiful concert hall at Gendarmenmarkt will host a celebration of musical talent from the volcanic island, bringing together an eclectic line-up of artists such as jazz quartet ADHD, whose performances inspired by the forces of nature will transport you to a sky full of northern lights; multi-instrumentalist and singer Jófríður Ákadóttir of JFDR, deservingly deemed “the next Björk”; and artist in residence Víkingur Ólafsson, who will close the festival with a performance accompanied by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Our tip: let the music wash over you at the Singer-Songwriter Night as Sóley, Snorri and their guests give a glimpse into how Icelanders turn the long dark nights into pure creativity! (Text: Andreea Dragos / Photos: Sebastian Runge, jfdr & Ari Magg)

Konzerthaus Berlin, Gendarmenmarkt, 10117 Berlin–Mitte; map
“Sounds of Iceland“, 14–17.11.2019. Buy tickets here.
@konzerthausberlin

Twisted, entangled guard rails, bicycle stands and barricades – Bettina Pousttchi’s installations seem both familiar and fragile. These anthropomorphic sculptures, stripped of their original functions and displayed colorfully in museums, distort conceptions of freedom and security in public spaces. The Berlin-based artist works fluidly between sculpture, photography and architecture, and her works are often site-specific and engage with their surroundings. For the solo exhibition “In Recent Years” at the Berlinische Galerie, the museum itself has become an exhibit: like an ornamental net, a giant photo installation stretches across the entire glass façade of the building, evoking elements of Middle Eastern architecture. Again and again, Pousttchi succeeds, both playfully and emotionally, in interweaving supposed contrasts – such as national and social identities – through subtle interventions. A successful show that offers a conciliatory perspective on urban architecture. (Text: Hanna Komornitzyk / Photos: Berlinische Galerie, Jens Ziehe, Noshe)

Berlinische Galerie, Alte Jakobstr.124–128, 10969 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
Wed–Mon 10–18h
“In Recent Years” by Bettina Pousttchi: until 06.04.2020
@berlinischegalerie