Man himself is a genus in the work of Tea Mäkipää, although the habitat of this species is the globalised cultural society of the West. In her often monumental installations, photographs, films and objects, man’s social behaviour and strategies for survival are critically illuminated alongside his attitude towards Nature and her creatures.
Biological constants like the struggle for food or social patterns such as the striving for integration thus become the objects of artistic research. When this has been completed, the audience is certainly drawn to the beauty of its artistic expression, but has also been made aware of the world’s cruelties and callousness.

Mäkipää's new video work "Catwalk" in Studio 1 of the Künstlerhaus thus celebrates the diversity of life-forms and their manifestations, while teaching its viewers that they are not subject to any hierarchy. The biological species all adopt the same size on her catwalk; whether people, elephants or even cats appear and parade through the chancel of the former chapel.

In addition, Tea Mäkipää is showing a reduced-size version of her photo installation World of Plenty, which was made for the World Exhibition 2005 in Aichi, and selected photos from a project that is concerned with war and its visualisation in the media. In World of Plenty, she directs the viewers’ attention to a Garden of Eden where man and animals live together in harmony with opulent Nature – far too perfect to ever become reality.



Catwalk, Studio 1 + 2,
February 24th – March 12th 2006,
Opening: Thursday, 23. February 2006

Counting up the great number of disciplines and genres in which Thomas Kapielski has worked since the seventies, he might be regarded as one of the last Berlin "universalists". For a long time, he was known to insiders as a fine artist, qualified geographer and philologist, lecturer, musician and author; the initiated recommended his work as objective views voiced by a master of irony. In his writing, he portrayed the "overstretched kitschiness" of society – to use his own expression from an interview – and in the same way, he practises fine art without falling prey to the pressures of its operating system. The weaknesses and compulsions of the culture business still represent his material today.

In the exhibition "Emoluments – Collectors Show their Kapielskis", the former fellow of the Künstlerhaus is now presenting his works in the context of the social niches that have been found for them. The exhibition not only shows the works, but also their collectors. In this way, the artist derives a commentary on his art by starting out from the function of collecting, and his art can be interpreted from the standpoint of its usage.

Many works now scattered in private or public collections have been gathered together for the first time in this exhibition.



Emolumente – Sammler zeigen ihre Kapielskis, Studio 2,
February 24th – March 12th 2006,
Opening: Thursday, 23. February 2006, 19 h

Another solo exhibition of the artist is shown at Galerie & Edition Marlene Frei in Zurich from March 4th thru April 29th, 2006.

BETHANIEN SPEAKS TURKISH. The integration of Turkish themes has been part of everyday life at the Künstlerhaus for a long time. "Berlin Istanbul" was only the last in a series of exhibition projects intended to build a bridge between the fascinating cultural scene in Turkey and Berlin.
From the end of February, we will be consolidating this bridge linguistically: Our website is learning Turkish! The most important information about our artists and exhibitions will also be appearing in the Turkish language - which we regard as a signal to our neighbours in Kreuzberg. The Künstlerhaus aims to become even more welcoming for all those in Berlin and Kreuzberg with an interest in art and culture.
NEW GRANT. As from April 2006, Künstlerhaus Bethanien GmbH will be offering a three-month residence to an artist of Turkish nationality in the context of its International Studio Programme.

Applications are invited - with the relevant project documentation - to arrive by the closing date: 1st March 2006.


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November 0th – November 0th ,
Opening: Tuesday, . November