Berlin Art Week garden – Nathalie Schmitz

Berlin Art Week garden

Project

Berlin Art Week ›BAW Garden 2022, a temporary outreach site

Task

Custom-Designed Furniture Collection (Community Table, Chairs, Side Tables and Stools), Greenery and Space Planning

Skills

Creative Direction, Concept

Collaborators

MBW, Floressenz 

Photos

Nathalie Schmitz

Annually, Berlin Art Week presents a diverse 5-day festival program of contemporary art in collaboration with major art institutions across the city. Serving as the heart of Art Week, the “BAW Garden” acts as a focal point, an event platform and an oasis—all within a single location, seamlessly integrated into the citywide program. With each edition, the garden’s site is linked to a changing partner, enabling it to continuously redefine itself in new environments. After co-producing the spatial concept for the inaugural ‘BAW Garden’ in 2021 at KINDL in collaboration with Sol Calero, I assumed the role of creative director for the subsequent event in 2022. That year, the Uferhallen in Wedding played host, providing its grounds as a temporary venue. Over five days, the space underwent a vibrant transformation, becoming a hub for workshops, discussions, and captivating art and music performances. To meet the demands of flexible and aesthetic space management while catering to the diverse needs of program elements, we designed a dedicated furniture collection for Art Week. This collection includes modular pieces—chairs, side tables, stools, and even a community table—allowing for custom set designs. The lightweight aluminum constructions provide stability and functionality, showcasing their versatility in various environments, both indoors and outdoors. This collection contributes sustainably to future editions of Art Week. Inspired by the circular key visual and the color scheme of Art Week, the furniture design facilitates an easy exchange of colored foils for future editions.