BODIES THAT SPEAK – Female Artists in Berlin

17 female artists. Four generations. One theme: the human body.

Following the hugely successful exhibition ‘Faces ofMind’, HAUS. KUNST. MITTE. returns to the human figure as its central visual theme with ‘Bodies that Speak’. This time, the focus is on the body – as a form of expression, a vessel of identity and memory, a place of vulnerability and self-determination, and as a starting point for universal questions about the human condition.

In recent years, HAUS. KUNST. MITTE. has developed into a venue for feminist, queer and intercultural perspectives through its thematic group exhibitions. ‘Bodies that Speak’ continues this exhibition practice: 17 female artists from four generations, who live and work in Berlin, present different perspectives on the body. Among them are key representatives of their respective generations as well as contemporary voices.

The participating artists are Nevin Aladağ, Laura Bruce, Carina Chang, Lunita-July Dorn, Carola Ernst, Leiko Ikemura, Aneta Kajzer, Franziska Klotz, Sarah Loibl, Nanne Meyer, Jana Sophia Nolle, May Parlar, Bettina Pousttchi, Barbara Quandt, Jenny Rempel, Alma Sinai and Andrea Zaumseil.

What unites these artists is their intense engagement with the body and the fact that Berlin is the centre of their lives and work. This is what gives ‘Bodies that Speak’ its special quality: as a Berlin institution, HAUS. KUNST. MITTE. brings together artists of different ages, cultural backgrounds and artistic approaches, whose perspectives enter into dialogue with one another.

The female body takes centre stage, without becoming the sole subject. Birth, sexuality, illness, ageing, vulnerability and death are universal experiences that are, at the same time, shaped differently by society and culture. The exhibition therefore asks not only: To whom does the body belong? How much self-determination is there? But also: What does our body tell us about ourselves – and what is attributed to it from the outside? Across 20 exhibition spaces, a dialogue unfolds between painting, sculpture, photography, film, works on paper, mixed media and installation. The performative runs through the exhibition: not only performance itself, but also painting, photography, sculpting and crafting are physical acts in which experience, memory and perception are inscribed. The five chapters lead from imaginary bodily worlds, through life and nature, to social pressure and, finally, to the transgression of familiar boundaries. ‘Bodies that Speak’ highlights the diversity of Berlin’s art scene and provides a platform for important voices of female artists.

ACCOMPANYING PROGRAMME

Workshop as part of KinderKulturMonat: A World of Paper 4 Oct, 11 Oct & 18 Oct 2026 | 2.00–4.00 pm on each date | Free entry | Children aged 4–8 must be accompanied | Booking required

Guided tour of the exhibition | with curator Anna Havemann | 12 November 2026 | 6.00 pm

Artists’ Talk 3 December 2026 | 6.00 pm | Discussion on body image in art

Closing event: Meet the artists 12 December 2026 | 5 pm – 8 pm | Free entry

Art opens doors: Free admission every Sunday

HAUS. KUNST. MITTE.

Thursday to Monday, 12 noon – 6.00 pm. Last admission at 5.30 pm

Closed on public holidays.

Admission: 8 euros. Concessions: 5 euros

Free admission for under-18s. Free admission for refugees.

Cash and PayPal accepted.