Program Highlights: VATMH Berlin

Two Sound Spaces - Two Anniversaries

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Villa Aurora and in remembrance of the 10th anniversary of the passing of musician and composer Dieter Moebius, the large and small water reservoirs in Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg will transform for three days into extraordinary sound spaces for experimental electronic music.

"Art in the City" | Exhibition in Public Space

To mark the 30th anniversary of Villa Aurora, six former fellows are bringing their works into public spaces across Berlin: large-scale, international, and political. From May 12 to 25, they will connect Berlin and Los Angeles through public art-accessible to everyone, right in the midst of daily life.

Ways of Listening | Festival

The festival Ways of Listening invites you to explore the art of listening in all its facets from March 27 to April 4, 2025. Led by Paul Holdengräber, the legendary interviewer, and Hannah Arendt expert Samantha Rose Hill, the series highlights how listening in music, exile, and digital spaces transforms our perception and communication. With conversations, performances, and concerts featuring guests like Cathy Milliken, Marko Ciciliani, and Yasmin Merei, listening is celebrated as a central human ability—a celebration of both the quiet and loud nuances in between.

Freedom from Fear | Video series

The video series Freedom from Fear brings together in 14 episodes prominent artists, authors, philosophers, and scientists from Los Angeles and Germany who reflect on the human right to live without fear. Featuring contributions from figures such as Martha Nussbaum, Sasha Waltz, and Peter Sellars, the series explores how art, literature, music, and philosophy can help overcome social fears—ranging from the global consequences of the pandemic to issues of climate change and digital transformation.

Exit Exil | Mobile App

The app Exit Exil connects over 30 artistic and scholarly contributions to reflect on the exile of German-speaking artists and intellectuals in the 1930s and 40s, while also drawing a connection to contemporary experiences of exile in Germany. Using an interactive world map as its foundation, the app offers films, radio plays, essays, and audio walks from renowned contributors such as Susan Philipsz, Tanja Kinkel, and Mohamed Amjahid. It allows users to explore the scope of forced migration and experience current debates on flight, identity, and new beginnings, either in specific locations or from the comfort of their own homes.

all the lonely people | Exhibition

The exhibition all the lonely people addressed loneliness, melancholy, and withdrawal against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Curated by Nana Bahlmann, it presented works by artists such as Saâdane Afif, Susan Philipsz, and Andrea Zittel, who combined traditional themes of hermitage with current issues like digital isolation, self-sufficient lifestyles, and gentrification. Shown in Berlin and Los Angeles, the exhibition made isolation visible as a shared experience and offered new perspectives on withdrawal and contemplation in a globalized world.