Leipziger Straße in Berlin-Mitte runs from west to east, linking Leipziger Platz with Spittelmarkt. Along this 1.5-kilometre-long thoroughfare, one now finds government ministries, embassies, museums, galleries, an art association and project spaces, a music nursery, florists, supermarkets, bridal shops, pharmacies and a weekly market. From the junction with Charlottenstraße heading eastwards, it resembles a motorway with a total of eight lanes cutting through the urban landscape. The fact that 6,500 people live here is usually overlooked. Leipziger Straße offers a fertile ground for an interesting artistic exploration, thanks to the interplay of history, social visions, and the associated architectural and urban planning concepts, reflected in its current use and transformation.

From spring 2024, three temporary art projects will be created here: Gertraudenhain by the artist Christof Zwiener will kick things off in March 2024, followed in September 2024 by Diadéo trésor by the artist Kandis Friesen, and in March 2025, rüber machen by the artist collective msk7 will be on display. These three works will be complemented by events, discussion series and guided tours.

On this page, you will find all the information about the art competition, the entries submitted, the winning works and the supporting programme.

On Friday, 8 December 2023, the judging panel met to consider the single-stage, restricted and anonymous art competition KISR – Art in Urban Space on Leipziger Straße. Chaired by the artist Henrik Schrat and following intensive discussion, the jury issued a recommendation for the implementation of three competition entries: Diadéo trésor by the artist Kandis Friesen, rübermachen by the artist collective msk7, and Gertraudenhain by the artist Christof Zwiener.

KISR – Art in Urban Space on Leipziger Straße (2023–25) is part of the Pop-Up-Mitte project run by the Economic Development Agency of Berlin’s Mitte District Office and is funded through the federal programme “Sustainable City Centres” run by the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Construction, as well as from city-wide funds of the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion, following a recommendation by the Advisory Committee on Art (BAK).

The three temporary works were recommended for implementation by a jury as part of a single-phase, restricted and anonymous art competition. The artists were selected via a preliminary application process open to applicants from across Berlin and Brandenburg, which was not anonymous.