THE SPREEPARK ART SPACE TEAM
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Katja Aßmann (she/her) is the curator and artistic director of Spreepark Art Space. After she studied architecture and art history, her curatorial interest focussed on combining planning and artistic approaches and strategies. After holding various positions in art and building culture institutions, she took over as Artistic Director of Urbane Künste Ruhr (2012-2017), where she was responsible for large-scale projects such as Emscherkunst, an art trail with permanent and temporary works that was created to mark the near-natural conversion of the River Emscher. Aßmann has also curated internationally recognised immersive works for the Ruhrtriennale, such as Pulse Park: Relational Architecture by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Melt by Cantoni Crescenti and Tower – Instant Structure for Schacht XII by Random International. In addition, together with artist and architect collectives as well as academic institutions, she founded the new Ruhr area-wide art institution Stadtlabore, in which valuable strategies and insights from artistic research in urban space were gathered. Building on this experience, she has been realising projects involving art and planning in the Spreepark since 2018.
Languages: German, English
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ART IN THE PARK
Julia Badaljan (she/her) has a master's degree in art history. She is responsible for the art projects in the park, which she accompanies from the selection stage to their structural realisation, liaising with artists, landscape architects and civil engineers. In addition to coordinating the temporary and permanent works in the park and designing the Spreepark Art Space programme, she is currently working as a curatorial assistant for the 14th Taipei Biennale. In previous exhibitions and projects, including at the Gropius Bau Berlin, she specialised in subjects such as immersion and sustainability in the art and exhibition sector and continues to pursue these interests in long-term collaborations with the artists of Spreepark Art Space.
Languages: German, English
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EXHIBITIONS AND PROGRAMME ASSISTANT
Nicolle Banús (she/her) is a Guatemalan cultural worker and has been part of Spreepark Art Space since 2023. As an assistant, she supports the planning and staging of exhibitions in the Eierhäuschen and, together with the Spreepark Art Space team, helps to design an inclusive public programme in various on-site locations. Nicolle is particularly interested in the themes of transculturality, migration and participation in the arts and culture scene.
Languages: German, English, Spanish
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ART IN THE PARK AND PRODUCTION
Michelle Chen (she/her) has been part of the team since 2024. She has a background in both fine art and architecture. Prior to joining Spreepark Art Space, Michelle worked in renowned contemporary art studios and was involved in the design and realisation of significant public artworks. Her experience ranges from conceptual development to detailed planning and on-site coordination – always with the aim of turning creative ideas into tangible and impactful works. At Spreepark Art Space, she focusses on the project management of artworks in the park. She also supports technical production processes in connection with exhibitions and temporary art projects.
Languages: German, English, French, Mandarin
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WELCOME TEAM
For eight years, Heidi Kirk (she/her) showed visitors from all over the world around Berlin as a tour guide. Now she welcomes guests to Spreepark Art Space and answers their questions. Before moving to Berlin, she herself enjoyed the hospitality of many people – be it in France, where she grew up, in New York, where she studied comparative literature, or in Shanghai, where she taught English.
Languages: German, English, French
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COMMUNICATION
Anja Klaus (she/her) has always been interested in the intersection of art, culture and communication. After studying cultural studies, journalism and German language and literature in Leipzig, she worked in the arts and culture sector as well as for various communications agencies. For many years her main professional interest has been in the different uses of public spaces – events, artistic interventions, open space design and planning – and communicating these uses to the public.
Languages: German, English
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WELCOME TEAM
Born in East Berlin, Carolin Meyer (she/her) studied theatre studies and media and communication studies. As a student, she welcomed international visitors to the Jewish Museum Berlin and the Computer Games Museum. She then worked in public relations, marketing and social media management for the Landestheater in Detmold, the Ulm Theatre and the Fonds Darstellende Künste. Since autumn 2024, she has been part of the welcome team at Spreepark Art Space, where she is in contact with visitors and answers questions about the exhibitions, the Spreepark and the Eierhäuschen.
Languages: German, English
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ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE PROGRAMME
Temitayo Oni (she/her) is responsible for the residency programme at Spreepark Art Space and for the conception and staging of the annual exhibition showcasing the artists' work. She is also actively involved in designing the accompanying programme during the exhibition period. She is passionate about diversity – in discourse, artistic practice and personal encounters. With a master's degree in art history, stays in Mexico City and Paris and several years of experience in gallery and project management, she brings an international perspective to her work. She is particularly committed to interdisciplinary collaboration and the creation of spaces for communication, participation and new connections.
Languages: German, English, Spanish, French
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GRADUATE ASSISTANT
Rahel Justina Retta (she/her) completed her bachelor's degree in art and visual studies and musicology in 2022 and is currently studying for a master's degree in art and visual history at Humboldt University in Berlin. In addition to her studies, she has been working as a graduate assistant at Spreepark Art Space since 2025 and supports team members in the planning and realisation of exhibitions in the Eierhäuschen.
Languages: German, English, Amharic
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WELCOME TEAM
Sonja Schmidt (she/her) grew up in southern Germany and Spain and moved to Berlin in 2001. Here she studied cultural studies and Latin American studies, spending semesters abroad in Barcelona and Mexico. As a student, she welcomed international visitors to the IIJ and Goethe Institute. In the PR department of the taz (daily newspaper), she was responsible for media partnerships with various cultural institutions and worked as an online editor. Since February 2024, she has been a point of contact for guests of Spreepark Art Space, providing insights into the artwork on display. Together with her colleagues from the welcome team, she guides groups of visitors through the exhibitions and answers questions about the Spreepark of the future.
Languages: German, English, Spanish
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EXHIBITIONS
After studying art and cultural studies, Nina Sperling (née Mende, she/her) worked as a curator at the Kunstverein Braunschweig and as an assistant curator at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin. She has been working at Grün Berlin in the field of art projects since 2016, first at ZKR – the Centre for Art and Public Space, and since 2018 for the Spreepark project. She has set up site-specific performative and interactive formats with members of the arts and culture community and provided curatorial and organisational support for the workshop process for the permanent works of the Spreepark. Since the opening of the Eierhäuschen, she has been primarily responsible for exhibition content planning and realisation. She is particularly keen to help create a place for open dialogue where artistic ideas and interdisciplinary themes come together to form a polyphonic narrative.
Languages: German, English
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EDUCATION AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Jenny Sréter (she/her) is responsible for art education and leads the welcome team. With her team, she makes sure visitors to Spreepark Art Space feel welcome, collects memories of the Spreepark and Eierhäuschen, and provides insights into artistic research and practice. She curates exhibition-related programmes and develops projects in collaboration with artists, locals and other parties to explore and shape the role of art at the Spreepark. She is passionate about fostering dialogue, providing access and learning from diverse perspectives and sources of knowledge. She is also committed to increasing diversity at Spreepark Art Space. She studied comparative literature and was most recently Co-Director of Education at the Gropius Bau Berlin.
Languages: German, English
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