May 26, 2026
Marking the 125th anniversary of the Bezirksverband Berlin-Süden der Kleingärtner*innen e.V., the 6th Britzenale turns its attention toward the future of Berlin’s allotment gardens amid “climate change, housing shortages, urban densification and increasing social fragmentation.”
In our conversation, curator Christof Zwiener and assistant curator Gianna Ehrke describe the exhibition as both an artistic and social platform, rooted in the ecosystem of Berlin’s garden colonies. This year’s edition will take place in the KGA Zur Windmühle, and invites more than 20 artists to respond sensitively to the site’s environmental, historical and communal dimensions. A central highlight is the renewed focus on Eckhart Haisch’s monumental 1985 sculpture ‘Ramificazioni,’ long overlooked within the area. Through artist talks, educational programming and site-specific installations, Britzenale positions the allotment garden as a microcosm of urban life—one shaped equally by tension, dialogue, memory and collective possibility.
Gianna Ehrke & Christof Zwiener // Photo by Christof Zwiener, 2026, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
Berlin Art Link: This year’s Britzenale coincides with the 125th anniversary of the Bezirksverband Berlin-Süden der Kleingärtner*innen e.V—what significance does this have for your program this year?
Christof Zwiener & Gianna Ehrke: During the installation of the 5th Berlin Britzenale, we were approached by the board of the District Association Berlin-Süden of Allotment Gardeners (Bezirksverband Berlin-Süden der Kleingärtner*innen e. V.) with the idea of accompanying the association’s 125th anniversary. As anniversaries naturally tend to look back at the past, we developed, together with the invited artists, the idea of consciously directing our attention toward the future: toward the future of Berlin’s allotment gardens in the context of climate change, housing shortages, urban densification and increasing social fragmentation. What challenges and opportunities arise for volunteer-run allotment garden communities such as KGA Zur Windmühle? My team and I have been working on these questions since July 2025.
Kleingartenanlage Zur Windmühle e.V. // Courtesy of Berlin Britzenale
BAL: Can you tell us about the sculpture by Eckhart Haisch, ‘Ramificazioni’ (1985), and how you will integrate it into the exhibition for Britzenale 6?
CZ & GE: Eckhart Haisch’s sculpture ‘Ramificazioni’ has stood since 1985 at the transition to the neighboring KGA Goldregen and along the flower axis leading directly to Britzer Garten. It quickly became clear that this extraordinary reinforced-concrete sculpture—approximately 15 meters wide, 8 meters deep and 4 meters high—had remained largely unnoticed for many years. There was no information on site and little public knowledge about the work or its history. In local Berlin vernacular, the sculpture had simply become known as the “elephant feet.” The Britzenale considers it an important task to integrate ‘Ramificazioni’ into the 6th Berlin Britzenale and to make the work’s genesis and historical significance visible once again. During the exhibition, a public artist talk with Eckhart Haisch, now 85 years old, will take place as part of the accompanying program. In addition, a permanent information plaque will be installed to provide future visitors with information about this remarkable site-specific work.
Eckhart Haisch: ‘Ramificazioni,’ 1985 // Courtesy of Berlin Britzenale
BAL: Britzenale has consistently been organized in allotment gardens in the Britz neighborhood of Berlin. What opportunities do these spaces afford the participating artists? Can you talk about the criteria for the artists working in these spaces, in terms of materials and the environmental impact of the site-specific works, as well as the relationship with the people in the garden communities?
CZ & GE: The Britzenale examines Berlin’s characteristic system of allotment gardens from an artistic perspective while also seeking to make this unique environment more accessible. The invited artists work simultaneously within a natural, social and recreational space. Observing, analyzing and commenting on this layered complexity forms one of the central points of departure for the Britzenale. A sensitive and sustainable approach toward both people and nature is fundamental to the project. Upcycling, recycling and waste reduction are key principles guiding the exhibition’s production, organization and implementation.
Berlin Britzenale 3 // Photo by Christof Zwiener, 2026, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
BAL: There’s a focus on the future this year. Curatorially, what do you hope visitors will take away from this experience in terms of engaging with urban gardening and sustainable food growing practices?
CZ & GE: For us, the notion of the future is inherently multilayered and always rooted in the past and in the specific history of a place. The Britzenale creates connections between past, present and future. Some developments—such as climate change—are already foreseeable, while others remain speculative. The allotment garden colony Zur Windmühle, founded in 1932, also reflects a cross-section of society. Within this microcosm, different ideas of gardening and ways of living coexist. There are tensions, but also many forms of connection. The garden fence, for example, fulfills an important dual role: it can become a site of dispute, but equally a place for exchange, neighborliness and dialogue.
Berlin Britzenale 3 // Photo by Christof Zwiener, 2026, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
BAL: Can you share some highlights from this year’s program?
CZ & GE: The Britzenale understands itself as an exhibition of strolling, discovering and perceiving. The artistic works are presented within individual garden plots, which we refer to, with a touch of humor, as “Giardini.” Alongside more than 20 artistic positions, the mediation program developed by Melanie Roumiguière forms a central component of the Britzenale. Together with experts and artists, it opens up additional perspectives and dialogues for allotment gardeners as well as for visitors.
Britzenale 6
‘Sixth Berlin Britzenale 2026’
Opening Reception: Friday, June 5; 6pm
Festival: June 5–7, 2026
britzenale6.com
Kolonie Zur Windmühle e.V., Hüfnerweg 4, 12349 Berlin, click here for map
