We are delighted to welcome our newest residents Eloise Sweetman,Lysann König and Sahar Salah!
Lysann König (1986, Zwickau) lives and works in Basel as an artist, musician and curator. She is part of the KASKO-Team since 2021, a project space for contemporary art, performance and mediation in Basel, and co-founder of ∑ SUMME, a networking platform and biennale event for artist-run-spaces and projectspaces in Basel. Since her bachelor‘s degree in 2012 at the Institut Kunst in Basel, she has been part of various collectives, including Dr. Kuckucks Labrador and who writes his_tory?.
Residency period: September 2024 – February 2025 Supported by Pro Helvetia
Eloise Sweetmanis a Rotterdam-based curator originally from Western Australia. Her curatorial practice is guided by a philosophy of “lingering”—a deliberate, slow engagement with art that unfolds over time and space. This method is influenced by philosopher Byung-Chul Han’s concept of “de-distancing,” which refers to the process of getting closer to one’s surroundings and creating a sense of intimacy. In her exhibitions, Eloise seeks to create space for artists and audiences alike to engage deeply with the works on display, allowing meaning to remain open and fluid.
Residency period: September – December 2024 Supported by Mondriaan Fund
Additionally, we are excited to welcome Sahar Salah to the residency at ABA!
Sahar Salah worked at the Goethe-Institut Sudan for over ten years, most recently in the cultural programming department. After the outbreak of the war, she was forced to leave her home in Khartoum and has since been independently implementing various cultural projects, mainly in the north and northeast of the country.
Collaboration between ABA and Goethe Institut, supported by Goethe Institut.
The new residents recently presented their work during an ABA LAB session, giving us a glimpse into the exciting research they will focus on during their time here in Berlin.
Upcoming
EXHIBITION & PROGRAM
response*able drawing – DRAWING & DEMOCRACY
Sarah Hegenbart & Kaj Osteroth
Uqbar | 19–29 October
Kaj Osteroth, Demokratie als Zumutung, pencil on pper, 29,7 x 42 cm, 2024, drawing input from the response*able drawing workshop @ The Ruskin School of Art, Oxford 2024. Initiiert von Sarah Hegenbart & Kaj Osteroth
An exhibition that juggles assumptions and desires towards the potential that a simple drawing can hold. It allows glimpses into process, method, big ideas and small resonances, but still presents some beautifully nuanced lines on paper. An experiment in drawing and democracy.
PROGRAM
19 October 2024, 16:00–19:00 response*able drawing workshop
We cordially invite you to participate in our first response*able drawing workshop in the Uqbar project space. No registration required.
19 October at 19:00 join us for the opening.
20 October, 16:00–18:00 Conversation
Clemens Krümmel (drawing historian, lives and works in Berlin) in conversation with Sarah Hegenbart and Kaj Osteroth on the exhibition response*able drawing
We cordially invite you to participate in our 2nd response*able drawing workshop in the uqbar project space. No registration required.
Further events [removed];To find out more about the project and visit us on [removed]
Recently
ABA BOOKSTOP at KO-Markt
Haus der Statistik | 7 September
ABA was delighted to participate once again in the KO-Markt on 7 September at Haus der Statistik. Our BOOKSTOP featured a collection from our archive, curated byBOOKSTOP coordinator Moritz Appich.
ABA BOOKSTOP Haus der Statistik Otto-Braun-Straße 70-72, 10178 Berlin
KO-Market is a collaborative event that brings together various creative initiatives from across Berlin’s vibrant project space community, providing a space for exchange and dialogue.
BOOKSTOP is a file-sharing platform where visitors can access curated reading materials and contribute to the archive by commenting, adding, copying, collaging, and connecting content. It aims to provide free access to resources without the bureaucracy and hierarchization of public [removed];
EXHIBITION
Секретик
Dasha Buben & John Irvin
UQBAR | 19–22 September
In the intersectional project Секретик (Little Secret), Belarusian artist Dasha Buben and American musician John Irvin explored themes of losing home, trauma, and memories. Neuroscientific research indicates that while memories are abstract and illusory, they can feel intensely real when associated with trauma. Traumatic memories trigger emotions as though one is still experiencing the trauma. These memories are often incomplete, lacking a clear narrative, and consist of fragmented sensations such as light, sounds, or smells.
As a political immigrant, Dasha has been separated from her family since the 2020 revolution in Belarus. This prolonged absence has resulted in a profound sense of losing her roots and foundation, leading to trauma and a quest for a new identity.
The ambient soundscape by John Irvin captures the essence of a summer day at a grandparent’s house—something eternally lost and irretrievable. It offers a glimpse into sounds that might or might not be real, reflecting the fragmented nature of memory and the deep sense of longing and [removed]; Sounds of home and earlier inspirations become fainter as one gets older, and in the search for an identity rooted in the present, it’s tempting to cling to these illusions. This nostalgia is used as an anchor to tie the artist to a past, in order to make up for a lack of foundation in a new place, amongst strangers in an unfamiliar space. In this way, the soundscape is a security blanket of memories, keeping them safe from the world outside.
We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Damien, Roman, Celine, and Annette, who successfully completed their residencies with us in August. Their final presentations were a tremendous success, showcasing the incredible work they developed during their time at ABA. We wish them all the best in their future endeavours and hope to collaborate with each of them again soon.