Werner Düttmann on his 100th birthday

Berlin architect, urban planner and long-time Academie President Werner Düttmann (1921–1983) was born one hundred years ago, on 6 March 1921. The Akademie der Künste is taking this anniversary as an opportunity to pay tribute to both the man and his work. 

The building on Hanseatenweg designed by Düttmann will be a satellite of the “Werner Düttmann – Building. Berlin.” exhibition, conceived by the Berlin Brücke Museum in cooperation with the Akademie Archives. Two films by fellows of JUNGE AKADEMIE will show artistic explorations of the Akademie building on Hanseatenweg designed by Werner Düttmann:

>> To the façade presentation as video on demand

Vor dem Tanz (2014) by Aleksandra Odić (Film and Media Art Section) and Mareike Franz (Performing Arts Section) is a filmic-dance approach to architecture. The premises provide the external, physical boundaries, while the atmosphere of silence, the materials and forms create sensual stimuli: thus the space becomes a play partner, an antagonist, a shelter, a requisite, a resonance with which the artist engages closely with. The focus is on preparatory work. The film ends moments before the actual performance in front of the audience. The artist is ready.

Audio-visual performance, 15:04 min., by Aleksandra Odić (director & concept) and Mareike Franz (performance)

Expo Pandemic (2020) traces the total and threatening silence, covering the once busy spaces after the pandemic-related closure in March 2020. This brought the hive of cultural activity to a standstill overnight. Filmmaker Farhad Delaram (Film and Media Section) spent the months of lockdown in his studio at the Akademie on Hanseatenweg. Enclosed in the emptiness of the rooms, he documented the site’s new atmosphere and his impressions.

Experimental Short Film, 7:50 min., by Farhad Delaram (director & cinematography), Sasan Khoshniat (editing & visual design), Mehrdad Jafari Rad (music)

Further programme:

6 — 15 Mar, daily 6:30 – 10 pm | Projection, from Ateliers
Drawing for foxes and cross-country skiers
Jennifer O’Donnell & Jonathan Janssens

17 Apr — 11 Jul, daily 11 am – 7 pm | Presentation, Foyer
Werner Düttmann. Berlin. Bau. Werk
Presentation of the Brücke-Museum in cooperation with the Landesdenkmalamt Berlin, the TU Berlin and the Archive of Akademie der Künste. www.wernerduettmann.de

Further talks and lectures starting at the end of May.

façade presentation as video on demand