From October 19 to November 9, 2025, the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation will present TO THE CORE at the Mies van der Rohe Haus.
The exhibition features three-dimensional elements that give expression to the natural resources behind the “materials of modernity” – concrete, steel, glass, brick, and aluminium. The result is a series of spatial collages that can be rearranged again and again, reflecting the Bauhaus spirit of experimentation. The displays will travel to various Bauhaus sites throughout the anniversary year. The Mies van der Rohe Haus, as the second stop on this journey, becomes a key venue for the Bauhaus anniversary in Berlin. A diverse programme of talks and events accompanies the presentation.

In her solo exhibition, artist Juliane Tübke presents clay works, video installations, sculptural arrangements and audio pieces – embedded in the unique ambience of the historic 15th-century cellar.
Referencing Donna Haraway’s concept of “kinship”, Tübke’s works address the multi-layered relationship between humans and nature in urban spaces. The focus is on questions of companionship and coexistence: nature appears as a constant companion to humans – as a companion, a mirror, a mythical space. At the same time, the artist critically examines the destruction caused by humans: littering, exploitation and the deliberate transformation of natural habitats.
Bruch is an invitation to see our environment with different eyes – and to rethink the role we play in it.

Maria Sewcz uses photography to explore the legacy of her families of origin, the few images, documents and found objects that have survived the passage of time in a random and fragmentary collection. She displays photographs of places of residence and landscapes, of objects belonging to her ancestors that are worth preserving, which she compares with her own memories. It is about material and aura, description and fiction, retrospective and self-questioning against the backdrop of a comprehensive context, of history. Maria Sewcz presents draft narratives that incorporate the gaps in what has been handed down and attempt to interpret them freely.

As a counterpoint to the omnipresent mood of doom and gloom, this exhibition features art that embraces humour as an artistic strategy. While superficial clownery fades into irrelevance, subtle, sharp, and often dark humour is gaining traction as an important antidote. It offers fresh perspectives and becomes a generative force, making space for laughter even in places marked by fear and uncertainty. The exhibition. The exhibition soaks in the turmoil of the world and explores humour as a source of insight and as a possible way of reconciling with the shortcomings of the present.

In Haut und Holz, Loredana Nemes explores themes of nature, love, and deep connections to place. The exhibition presents four bodies of work created since 2019.  The ‘Sicilia’ series focuses on the bond between humans and nature through portraits of residents of Sicily encountered during the artist’s travels. Each is pictured with a tree they named as their favourite. In the series ‘Immergrün’ (Evergreen), she explores how photography could visually represent love that spans decades. The cycles ‘Graubaum und Himmelmeer’ (Grey tree and Sky sea) and ‘White’ are an ode to the tree, celebrating its beauty across all seasons.

The Berlin-based artist Wataru Murakami, who was born in Japan and grew up in Canada and the USA, photographs deserted places, barely noticed details and traces of movement. In the exhibition Dispersion, the artist explores his sense of self and the concept of belonging. He scrutinises his identity – both as an individual and as an artist – in the context of his surroundings and reflects on inner conflicts. Through visual interventions such as overpainting and fragmentation, Murakami develops his own visual language in which the visible simultaneously refers to something hidden – an alternative reality that reveals itself beneath the surface.

Guðný Guðmundsdóttir’s exhibition draws on the concept of the nymph, which the artist explores in three forms: water lilies, the developmental stage of dragonflies, and water nymphs. These elements are combined with the aesthetics of heavy industry, represented by seemingly unassailable machines and industrial structures. Yet, when set against the sun or the cosmos, these appear far less powerful than they initially seem. In this interplay, parallels emerge between the vast and the minute, raising quiet questions about our human perspective.

Simone Zaugg’s exhibition project Urban Reflections creates immersive microcosms through specific interventions in the spatial settings at ZAK. These installations invite viewers to actively engage in a dialogue with the art, to participate constructively, much like at an adventure playground, and in doing so continue constructing their own reality. It is only through the viewer’s interactions, through the thoughts and emotions reflected in the installations, that spaces of possibility are opened, the place comes to life and connections are forged with our here and now.

Sharon Kivland’s exhibition of 120 hand drawings refers to the republican calendar that came into force in France in 1792, which introduced a completely new calendar based on the decimal system. Natural phenomena, living creatures and plants were decisive. Instead of the references to gods and kings of the Gregorian calendar, a reform-oriented instrument was created, which, however, did not last long.

Swiss-American photographer Vera Mercer (b. 1936 in Berlin) initially trained as a dancer before turning to photography, focusing on objects, portraits, and neo-baroque still lifes. Her detailed still lifes, exhibited internationally, masterfully showcase natural and cultural objects. For this exhibition at ZAK, Vera Mercer granted photography historian and journalist Jens Pepper access to her extensive archive in Omaha in 2024. As a result, numerous early portraits were scanned and prepared for the exhibition.