On April 12, Kunst Raum Mitte will open the exhibition in sight, marking the beginning of DISLOCATIONS. Curated by Natalie Keppler and Agnieszka Roguski, the program explores processes of localization and delocalization of spaces. The starting point is the venue at Auguststraße 21 and the histories tied to the communalmunicipal gallery founded in the late GDR. in sight centers queer and feminist perspectives on historiography, highlighting their systematic invisibilities. The group exhibition, featuring works by Philipp Gufler, Constantin Hartenstein, and Naomi Rincón- Gallardo, is in dialogue with a research project by artist Danila Lipatov and a performance by Lola von der Gracht.
In 2025, Kunst Raum Mitte will explore its spatial dimensions—as a physical exhibition space, as an urban environment, and as an imagined past and future scenario. Rooted in the history of the site, the spaces connected to it are constantly opening and closing. DISLOCATIONS is both theme and method: the term signals the distortions and shifts of places and perspectives. Through exhibitions and events, a network of places, people and stories unfolds, expanding the exhibition space into a broader spatial concept. Throughout the year, three thematic sequences focus on queer body politics, (post-)migration and urban development. What poetic and political potentials emerge? How can spaces be created where history becomes tangible?
in sight is the first program sequence of DISLOCATIONS. It examines how different spaces determine the (in)visibility of bodies—showing them, controlling them, and inscribing them into history. Queer, female*, and subcultural perspectives on archives disrupt imposed orders through moments of shift and distortion. The exhibition draws on projections to highlight what often remains in the dark: videos by Philipp Gufler and Naomi Rincón Gallardo and a sculpture by Constantin Hartenstein appear in the dimly lit exhibition space, displayed alongside slides from galerie weisser elefant. These works contribute to a feminist reinterpretation of the archival material in a display designed by Martha Schwindling. The exhibition is in dialogue with a performance by Lola von der Gracht and Danila Lipatov’s research on queer subcultures in the late GDR.
Curated by Natalie Keppler & Agnieszka Roguski (Artistic Directors Kunst Raum Mitte).
Research Space: Danila Lipatov
The KRM Research Space hosts artists who engage with archival materials in diverse ways. In 2025, Danila Lipatov embarks on a search for queer subcultures in 1980s East Germany. An Open Studio will be held on April 12, followed by a research presentation on May 23.
From March to May, artist Danila Lipatov explores queer self-organized structures and everyday acts of protest in the late GDR. He focuses on subcultures as islands of disobedience within the system. He collects material in the form of ephemera and fragments: transcribed interviews with eyewitnesses and archivists, correspondences through messages and emails, photographed book pages, sounds and songs, film and television episodes. Danila Lipatov: “By sharing these findings with old and new friends, we cautiously approach these traces to collectively uncover the utopian potentials of historical queer cultures.”
Born in the former Soviet Union, Danila Lipatov first studied translation at the Moscow State Linguistic University before graduating from the Academy of Media Arts Cologne in 2023. His multimedia works (installation, performance, video) and artistic workshops employ autofictional methods and filmic-performative reconstructions of archival and interview fragments. He also collaborates with Karen Zimmermann and various friends to create queer spaces that weave together personal stories, facts and fictions, challenging established structures.
in sight events
April 13 – June 22, 2025
Opening: April 12, 2025, 6 – 9 PM
April 12, 2025
Open Studio: Danila Lipatov
May 23, 2025, 7 PM
Research Presentation: Danila Lipatov
June 15, 2025, 6 PM
Performance: Lola von der Gracht
Opening Hours
Tue – Sun: 11 AM – 7 PM Free Admission
About Kunst Raum Mitte
Kunst Raum Mitte, formerly galerie weisser elefant, is an institution of the Department of Art, Culture and History in the district Mitte. The gallery’s renaming was initiated by the department in 2023 and accompanied by an evaluation process. It aims to further open up the gallery's concept for contemporary discourse and the art of a new generation, linking it to current debates about a pluralistic urban society.
Artistic Directors and Curators: Natalie Keppler & Agnieszka Roguski Program Coordination and Curatorial Assistance: Annika Reketat Exhibition Management: Katrin Winkler
Design DISLOCATIONS: Sibel Beyer
