Center for Contemporary Art

ZAK – Center for Contemporary Art is a generous exhibition space for contemporary art and a meeting place for people of all cultures. It opened in May 2018 in the premises of the Old Barracks and it is establishing itself as a center for modern and contemporary art. In changing exhibitions, not only positions of contemporary art, but also the confrontation with the past and the location of the Citadel itself can be admired and discussed on 2,500 square meters of exhibition space. The museum’s educational and supporting programs, which are tailored to individual exhibitions, round off your visit to the ZAK.

Artistic Director: Dr. Ralf F. Hartmann (email)

Michael Hischer

We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of sculptor Michael Hischer, who passed away on June 14 after a long and serious illness.

We fondly remember his remarkable open-air exhibition, “In Balance and in Motion. Kinetic Sculptures on the Ramparts of Spandau,” which we were able to realize together with Michael at the Citadel in 2021 during the pandemic. Even while our museums and exhibition venues remained closed for extended periods, visitors were still able to experience and enjoy his art outdoors.

In 2022, Michael Hischer won the public art competition for Reformationsplatz in Spandau’s Old Town with one of his characteristic kinetic sculptures. The work integrates sensitively into the historic ensemble formed by St. Nicholas Church, Schinkel’s Memorial to the Fallen of the Wars of Liberation, and the monument to Elector Joachim II. Through its subtle movements, it creates a contemplative point of calm within the vibrant atmosphere of Spandau’s historic center.

We will remember Michael Hischer as an outstanding artist, a person of both great humor and profound thoughtfulness, and a dear friend. Our heartfelt sympathy goes to his wife, Marina Schreiber, and to his family and loved ones.

Ralf F. Hartmann and the team of the Citadel, together with the District Art-in-Architecture Commission

Historisches Backsteingebäude auf dem Gelände der Zitadelle Spandau, in dem das Zentrum für Aktuelle Kunst untergebracht ist.

Applications

We are not accepting applications from artists until further notice. We assume no liability for unsolicited applications, portfolios and catalogs and cannot return them for capacity reasons. Likewise, we cannot guarantee a response for this reason.

Current Exhibitions at the ZAK Center for Contemporary Art

Bedrohung / Zagrożenie / Menace

The persistent feeling of multiple existential threats is a central symptom of our contemporary society. These threats manifest themselves directly in the individual’s perception, but they are also communicated through the media, thereby shaping the collective awareness of entire communities. Contemporary art often functions like a seismograph, registering with incredible sensitivity the “vibrations” of all kinds of dangers and threats. Both concretely tangible and only perceptible through mediation. How do artists from the neighboring countries of Germany and Poland analyze similar threats? How do they react to them, how do they process them, and what strategies of resilience or direct response do they develop?

The artistic contributions to the German-Polish exhibition, which jointly presents leading faculty members from the Magdalena Abakanowicz University of Arts in Poznań and guests from Berlin, navigate the tension between acute and perceived threats, between experience and fear.

Natalia Brandt, Zehra Doğan, Nezaket Ekici, Diana Fiedler, Adam Gillert, Joanna Hoffmann, Anna Kędziora, Karolina Komasa, Kamila Kobierzyńska, Maciej Kozłowski, Katarzyna Klich, Ewa Kubiak, Katarzyna Kujawska-Murphy, Maciej Kurak, Ewa Kulesza, Hanna Łuczak, Janusz Marciniak, Paul Magee, Anahita Razmi, Sonia Rammer, Magda Starska, Sebastian Trzoska, Anna Tyczyńska, Veronika Witte, Marc Tobias Winterhagen

Curated by Prof. Dr. Marta Smolińska and Dr. Ralf F. Hartmann

With the kind support of the Foundation for German-Polish Cooperation and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

You can find more information about the exhibition here.

Halle – Leipzig International

Clear the runway for current works by students, graduates, and master’s students from Prof. Kerstin Drechsel’s Painting and Graphic Arts class at the Academy of Visual Arts, Leipzig, and Prof. Tilo Baumgärtel and Prof. Heide Nord’s Painting class at Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design, Halle. The participating artists work with painting in a thoroughly classical manner while also exploring the medium’s boundaries: from artistic graphics to video and comics, and on to object art and installation. The panorama of selected works offers a comprehensive insight into the vitality and freshness of the classical medium, as it is taught today at two of the most significant art academies in eastern Germany, each with its own long-standing traditions. With Kerstin Drechsel and Tilo Baumgärtel, two very different painterly approaches shape the work in the specialized classes and make the exhibition a fascinating panoramic view of young painting and its perspectives on the artistic future.

Featuring works by:

Luke Carter, Anne Chpakovski, Franziska Dathe, Niklas Dietzel, Leon Friederichs, Kristina Hajduchova, Luna Haser, Selma Kan, Mathilda Köhler, Marthe Lallemand, Felix Lorenz, Klara Schöll und Anali Vakili aus der HGB Leipzig

Rike Bewer, Ben Billhardt, Sarah Goerke, Henning Gundlach, Nina Hach, Luca Japkinas, Youjeong Kim, Yerina Lee, Louisa Pieper, Naomi Pietros, Tom Plehn, Michelle Sorin, Johanne Iris Kyrilla Steiner und Elektra Tzamouranis von der Burg Giebichenstein Halle

You can find more information about the exhibition here.

Kunst am Bau – 2 Projects

In 2025 and 2026, two art-in-architecture competitions were held in the Spandau district. A total of 20 designs by 28 artists are being presented in a joint exhibition.

Competition participants:

New construction of a high school on Rhenaniastraße in Haselhorst

Christiane Dellbrügge & Ralf de Moll / Andreas von Ow / Marta Dyachenko & Albert Weis / Kasia Fudakowski / Cisca Bogman & Via Lewandowsky & Oliver Störmer / Neda Aydin / Alice Hauck & Amelie Plümpe / Malte Bartsch (Contest prize) / Manaf Halbouni & Roberto Uribe / Abie Franklin & Daniel Hölzl

Construction of the Insel Gartenfeld Comprehensive School in Siemensstadt

Martin Binder / Zuzanna Czebatul / Roland Fuhrmann / Dagmara Genda / Stephan Kurr / Marion Orfila / Pfelder / Judith Seng / Studio KIM & ILLI / Anna Witt (Contest prize)

The two competitions were organized in cooperation with HOWOGE Wohnungsbaugesellschaft mbH/Schulbau, which is constructing both schools for the Spandau district. The schools are scheduled for completion in 2028 and 2029.

You can find more information about the exhibition here.