What’s going on?

The group exhibition “What’s going on?”, which marks the beginning of Mies van der Rohe Haus’ program under its new director, Dennis Brzek, approaches the tension between the past and present of Haus Lemke, home to the institution, through the lens of artistic practice. Existing works and new pieces developed in close dialogue with the site pose questions of time, absence, and personal histories, using both private and shared memories as their material.

Built in 1932–33 by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for Karl and Martha Lemke, Haus Lemke underwent multiple uses after the owners were evicted shortly after the Second World War and the building was taken over by the GDR’s Ministry for State Security, resulting in neglect and alterations. Restored between 2000 and 2002 to its original design, the building has since appeared almost suspended in time. “What’s going on?” engages critically with the logic of the monument, using found objects, personal narratives, and the interplay of intention and chance to reflect on traces as carriers of meaning.