Through his sculptures, installations, films and interventions, Iván Argote consistently explores the relationship between people, power structures and belief systems, whilst challenging prevailing historical narratives. His often large-scale, temporary and permanent works in outdoor spaces propose new symbolic and political ways of using public space. With Bridges Spreepark, Iván Argote has developed an ensemble of bridges for the future Spreepark that facilitates unexpected encounters, uses and perspectives.

The exhibition A Place to Stay focuses on the performative and participatory aspect of Argote’s work through his long-term project Activissime. For more than 15 years, Argote has been running protest workshops with children – as an exercise in critical thinking and to empower their voices. Three films trace the key stages of the project, whilst simultaneously exploring its context and origins, which are rooted in his parents’ experiences as activists in Colombia in the 1970s. 

Argote has designed the exhibition space as an inviting place where visitors can feel at ease, and where new workshops can take place. Sculptures invite playful exploration in the outdoor area in front of the Eierhäuschen and build a bridge to the Spreepark, not just conceptually. A Place to Stay extends an invitation to consciously perceive public space and make it one’s own.