Past Projects

A section of Berlin Wall at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin

Berlin Wall 30

The wall that divided Germany and Berlin fell in 1989. What changes have the country and the city seen since then? And where does one still find traces of the previous borders? Walks and tours along the places where the wall once stood.

A piece of Berlin Wall arrives at Goethe-Institut in Sydney in November 2019

Berlin Wall 30
How a piece of history found its way to a small Sydney park

There are segments of the Berlin Wall located all over the world: in English gardens, in the lobby of a hotel in Texas, along with countless sections in public parks, art galleries and private properties right across Europe. Now, an original slab of the Wall is going on display in Sydney.

From no man’s land to a new habitat: a 1,400 kilometre-long nature preserve was created on the former border between East and West Germany.

The German-German border
“A place of remembrance and hope”

The border that once divided the two Germanys - the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic – has been transformed into the German Green Belt. The biotope provides a new home for flora and fauna while testifying to its conflict-laden history.

In the traces of the Berlin Wall
From memories to makeover

The Berlin Wall falls in 1989. 30 years later, only a few parts of it remain, often used by graffiti sprayers and artists as a means of expression. Our Diaporama shows how the city is still marked by a kind of invisible wall.

Design
Bauhaus 100

To commemorate the global influence of the Bauhaus school of design, architecture, and applied arts, we are collaborating with our Australian partners to present exhibitions, show films, bring together artists and discuss the school’s significance with leading researchers.

Rose Seidler House in the Sydney suburb of Wahroonga

Bauhaus 100
Bauhaus in Australia: A migrant story

The development of the Bauhaus movement in Australia was closely linked to European migration, especially during and after World War Two. Foreign educators and architects played key roles, meaning various Bauhaus methods can still be seen in art and industrial design schools today.

New instruction based on old guidelines: At the Bauhaus University Weimar, the curriculum is still adheres to Bauhaus teaching principles.

Bauhaus at Universities
A global legacy

The ideals of the Bauhaus School shaped more than just design and architecture around the world; they also transformed teaching. And while a university in Weimar, the birthplace of the Bauhaus, still follows the founders’ guiding principles, other institutions based on the same spirit have had to close.

Harry Seidler with Walter & Ise Gropius in front of Seidler's design Julian Rose House, May 1954 | Photo by Max Dupain, first printed by Jill White 2003

Bauhaus 100
Walter Gropius’ Bauhaus principles: In his own words

In 1954, renowned Sydney architect Harry Seidler invited the Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius to Australia. During his visit, Gropius delivered a speech to the national broadcaster, ABC, as guest of honour.

Outline of a head. Inside the head many colourful segments with English writing in them like Togetherness, Solidarity, Social Distancing.

Day-Afterthoughts

A virus is showing us how globally networked and yet how fragile our public life is. What does the pandemic mean to and for each of us and for society as a whole?

Art
Dynamics of Air

As air is invisible, we take it for granted until something goes wrong. This mini-dossier ponders the questions raised by the exhibition 'Dynamics of Air'.

Thoughts on the exhibtion
“We are all air dwellers and air makers.”

As air is invisible, we take it for granted until something goes wrong. It’s only when pollution clogs the atmosphere, smog obscures the horizon and people struggle physically during cold snaps and heat waves that we focus on what we can’t see.

Friedrich von Borries
Politics of Air: Theoretical Provocation

The air we breathe, our interior, urban climates, and increasingly the weather and global climate are all designed. Advertently or inadvertently, they are all a result of decisions made on a social, political and economic scale.

Curator meets creator
Sensuality of Air: Outside_In

For the exhibition ‘Dynamics of Air’, Dr Malte Wagenfeld worked with climate engineering company ‘Transsolar’ on the project ‘Outside_In’. As part of the exhibition, there will be an experiential environment in the gallery that simulates the type of microclimatic perceptual experiences that might be encountered in outside environments — such as a park, forest, beach, or a combination of these settings.

Urban Subcultures

Subcultures can have a significant impact on visually and culturally shaping a city. This dossier aims to examine subcultures in urban spaces in Germany and Australia.

Barber Shops
Sculpting a modern Gentleman

Offering premium service and old-worldly charm, the modern day barber shop offers an escape for men from the pressures of a fast paced urban landscape, carrying on a masculine tradition that’s rich in cultural significance all over the world.

Australian Underground Metal
The Dark Side of Australia?

Is there such a thing as a Metal Underground in Australia? Who is part of it and what characterises it? How important is the underground for Australian metal? Members of the scene provide insights.

Bush Doofs
A Post-Rave Dance Music Movement

Picture a scene where a fine, red dust rises and cloaks a pulsing crowd in a haze, as they stomp the ground rhythmically to ethereal electronic music. They are dancing on a clearing of land in the middle of the picturesque Australian bush, surrounded by scribbly gums, red soil and mountain ranges.

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Past Projects

Berlin Wall 30

Berlin Wall 30 How a piece of history found its way to a small Sydney park

The German-German border “A place of remembrance and hope”

In the traces of the Berlin Wall From memories to makeover

Design Bauhaus 100

Bauhaus 100 Bauhaus in Australia: A migrant story

Bauhaus at Universities A global legacy

Bauhaus 100 Walter Gropius’ Bauhaus principles: In his own words

Day-Afterthoughts

Art Dynamics of Air

Thoughts on the exhibtion “We are all air dwellers and air makers.”

Friedrich von Borries Politics of Air: Theoretical Provocation

Curator meets creator Sensuality of Air: Outside_In