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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Cultural location Uferhallen is facing the imminent end!

Editors’ Choice

After a five-year marathon of negotiations – combined with ups and downs of hopes and disappointments – the Uferhallen cultural venue is facing imminent closure. If no immediate solution is found, the resident artists fear the first dismissals from the end of May. Around 90 creative people work on the site, including internationally renowned artists such as Katharina Grosse, Monica Bonvicini, Maria Eichhorn, Heiner Franzen, Asta Gröting, Sven Drühl and Rosa Barba.

Fig. above: Layla Nabi, Redifferentiated, 2023, galvanized steel, latex, styrofoam, uniflott, resin and others.

OPEN LETTER

We, the Uferhallen e.V., represent the interests of the artists and tenants on site. We turn to you with the urgent request to lend weight to our demands and to ensure the greatest possible publicity. At stake is a production site that has grown for 15 years and a unique space for cultural exchange on the landmarked grounds of the former BVG depot in the center of the city.

DEEDS.NEWS - Kulturstandort Uferhallen - Peter Dobroschke
Peter Dobroschke, Derailed wall, 2023, theater platforms, aluminum, screed, formwork panels (wood)

The Uferhallen are an integral part of Berlin’s cultural scene and urban society. In addition to studios and studio apartments, they also house dance and rehearsal spaces, sound studios, a concert hall and an exhibition hall, workshops, gastronomy and numerous event spaces. The diversity ranges from classical music (Pianosalon Christophori) to experimental performative formats, annual open studios, and internationally curated exhibitions throughout the grounds. Among other things, the Uferhallen hosted the Berlin Art Week Garten 2022, participated in the Kultursommerfestival, and on several occasions organized joint projects in cooperation with n.b.k. (Neuer Berliner Kunstverein) and have developed joint projects.

Still in the fall of 2021, the district office Mitte, the Senate and the owners have announced in the course of a letter of intent the rescue of the cultural location Berlin-wide. A development plan procedure was decided by the district office Mitte with the aim to secure the stay of all resident tenants, to create a special area for culture and to allow the owner, Marema GmbH (corporate network of the Samwer brothers), an appropriate construction project.

DEEDS.NEWS - Kulturstandort Uferhallen - schneider
Uferhallen. Photo: Hansjörg Schneider

The Mitte district called for early public participation in June 2022. When a successful agreement appeared in the negotiations, the owners unilaterally terminated the development plan procedure in January 2023 – allegedly for economic reasons. This has created an unsettled and dangerous situation for the tenants of the Uferhallen and for us as an association.

All previous negotiations are thus meaningless: terminations are threatened, the planned general lease agreement for 30 years is obsolete.

DEEDS.NEWS - Kulturstandort Uferhallen - Hansjörg Schneider
Uferhallen. Photo: Hansjörg Schneider

Tenants will lose their workspaces because a total of three construction projects are to be built on the site from January 2024. These were promised to the owner – in anticipation of the development plan. It is currently completely unclear whether the tenants affected will be provided with the space they need to move.

That is why we are addressing everyone for whom culture in Berlin is vital. We call for the Uferhallen to be preserved with all available means. The Senate for Culture and Europe and the district office of Mitte have supported us to the best of their abilities so far, especially in the context of the development plan procedure. The talks between the owners, the Senate and the district, which were held in the context of the development plan procedure, must be continued without delay.

DEEDS.NEWS - Kulturstandort Uferhallen - JensZiehe
Artists inside the Uferhallen. nbk, Uferhallen art shares, photo Jens Ziehe

We demand a contract between the owners, the users and the state of Berlin. This contract must secure the studios and their affordability in the long term. The threatened layoffs must be prevented. This is the only way to preserve Uferhallen as a cultural location. A loss would be irreplaceable for this city. Please help us with your vote.

TO THE SIGNATURE LISTE

WHERE?

Kulturstandort Uferhallen
Uferstraße 8
13357 Berlin-Wedding

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