Luisenstadt Primary School

In this work, real wild animals that call Berlin home merge spatially and physically with objects from the urban environment. Through these sculptures, crafted from pure aluminium, connections are established in a playful and effortless manner with various themes, ranging from ecology, nature and culture to the history of Berlin’s division.

The Artist
In her artistic practice, Stef Heidhues (born 1975 in Washington D.C., USA) develops spatial installations in which sculptures and wall-mounted objects contextualise one another and group together to form walk-through images. It is an open, discursive principle within which sculpture, spatial strategies, stage design, design and drawing, amongst other things, converge.

The starting points are usually everyday objects and an exploration of public and social spaces, along with the dynamics and power relations that arise within them. Whilst Heidhues does not address specific political events or issues, the examination of political phenomena such as the financial crisis or protest cultures is also a source of her work. Through a process of appropriation, alienation, reduction and deconstruction, multi-layered spatial images emerge.

The primary school is situated in the historic district of Luisenstadt, which was developed in the 19th century as an extension of the city just outside Berlin’s gates. From the 2024/25 school year onwards, the school will enrol around 675 pupils aged between 6 and 12, who will be looked after by a teaching staff of around 60.

In connection with the construction of a new primary school at Adalbertstraße 53, 10179 Berlin, the Mitte District Office announced a single-phase, restricted and anonymous ‘Art in Architecture’in connection with the construction of a new primary school at Adalbertstraße 53, 10179 Berlin, with a preliminary open application process across Berlin in accordance with the RPW 2013 and the State of Berlin’s Guidelines for Art in Architecture and Art in Urban Spaces. The building is being constructed as part of Berlin’s School Construction Initiative II.