What would Berlin be without the river Spree? To mark the 100th anniversary of “Groß Berlin”, Götz Lemberg is raising a monument to the river at three prominent locations in the city, being in uncharted waters with his photo installations. He shows the entire length of the river Spree on its way through the capital and invites the viewer on a voyage of discovery. From Müggelsee to the mouth of the river Havel in Spandau Lemberg’s camera takes the perspective of the river: Mid-river and at water level he marks a vertical three-part “cut” every 333 meters, a “photo cut” of both banks. Consequently, the 43 kilometers of the Spree’s course from its entry into Berlin’s terrain at Lake Dämeritz to its mouth into the river Havel are condensed into the illusion of a panorama. Götz Lemberg’s work Spree-Cuts portrays the river as a combination of nature, and industry and urban space.

The river Spree still has huge value for Berlin as a source of life, this is what the project shows. With the interplay of unexpected perspectives, and associative reconnections, Lemberg simultaneously explores the course of the river and the visual dimensions of photography. Thus the compressed journey becomes a trip through landscape and history, through time and space.

Friedrichshain: Alte Feuerwache | Projektraum (Old Fire Station | Project Space)
“Spree-Entrée to town”
Friedrichshain: This is where the river Spree enters the city and becomes a lifeline that runs through the urban landscape. In the former “Alte Feuerwache” (Old Fire Station), where 100 years ago water had a life-saving function and whose architecture with its clinker-brick arches in the interior reminds one of water reservoirs, Lemberg transforms today’s project space into a multifaceted installation that presents the river Spree as a fictitious river.
Aug 28 — Oct 18, 2020 | Opening Reception: Aug 27, 2020, 6 pm
Alte Feuerwache | Project Space
Marchlewskistraße 6, 10243 Berlin [Friedrichshain]
Opening hours: Mon – Thu 11 am – 7 pm, Fri – Sun 12 – 8 pm

Moabit: Galerie Nord | Kunstverein Tiergarten
“Spreeverlauf – Spreebogen”
Lemberg’s photographic portrait of the river Spree is applied to the entire length of the gallery’s ground-level façade and, at 60 meters in length and 3 meters in height, makes the ground floor of the Gebrüder Grimm House in Turmstrasse disappear. Windows, doors and entrances of the gallery become carriers of an illusion space and Turmstraße dips down to the level of the water surface of the river Spree.
Sep 12 — Oct 17, 2020 | Opening Reception: Sep 11, 2020, 6 pm
Galerie Nord | Kunstverein Tiergarten
Turmstraße 75, 10551 Berlin [Moabit]
Opening hours: Tue – Sat 12 – 7 pm

Spandau: ZAK – Center for Contemporary Art – Citadel Berlin
“Spreemündung”
At the Zitadelle, Götz Lemberg and SPREE-CUTS combine a large open-air exhibition on Zitadellen-Platz with the rooms of the Center for Contemporary Art. Outside, a long double-sided presentation of views of the river Spree leads across the courtyard into the old barracks. As soon as they enter the Zitadelle, the visitors can experience the river Spree and its two sides analogous to a fictitious boat trip. In the exhibition rooms of ZAK, a solo exhibition by Götz Lemberg not only presents the work on the project and significant stations, but also deepens aspects of the artist’s innovative working method.
Sep 11 — Dec 27, 2020 | Opening Reception: Sep 10, 2020, 4 pm
+ Guided Tour (in German): Tuesday, Oct 27, 7 pm Details
ZAK – Center for Contemporary Art – Citadel Berlin
Am Juliusturm 64, 13599 Berlin [Spandau]
Opening hours: Fri – Wed 10 am – 5 pm, Thu 1 – 8 pm

The project was made possible by the Stiftung Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin. With the kind support of the district promotion fund of the Senate Administration for Culture and Europe and the Berliner Wasserbetriebe.

Aug 28, 2020 — Dec 27, 2020
Detailed dates for each venue: please see above

3 venues:
Alte Feuerwache | Projektraum
Galerie Nord | Kunstverein Tiergarten
ZAK – Zentrum für aktuelle Kunst – Zitadelle Spandau

Invalidenstraße 50-51, 10557 Berlin
[Districts: Friedrichshain / Moabit / Spandau |
Boroughs: Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg / Mitte / Spandau]

Opening hours for each venue: please see above

Admission free