Exclusive Visit of an Artist's Studio and Guided Cultural Tour

Discover the life and work of a renowned artist and join her on a journey through Berlin's cultural history

Sculptor Miriam Lenk welcomes you to an exclusive visit to her studio, offering personal insights into her artistic practice and creative process.

Together, you'll explore the fascinating surroundings of her studio. This cultural walking tour takes you through a neighbourhood where different layers of Berlin’s history come together - from the Gründerzeit and classical modernism to the legacy of the GDR.

Over lunch at the picturesque Orankesee, you'll get to know your hostess on a more personal level.

Starting Point: ID Studios - Meet at the Historic Gatehouse

Miriam Lenk’s studio is located in a building dating from the GDR era, where surveillance technology was once developed for the GDR’s Ministry for State Security, commonly known as the Stasi.

Miriam Lenk welcomes you at the original, preserved gatehouse of the building and introduces you to the building and its remarkable history.

Today, the building and an adjacent structure are home to ID Studios. International artists, designers, photographers and architects work here in more than 270 studios across 24,000 square metres, making the complex one of Berlin’s largest creative hubs.

Directly opposite stands the former Stasi remand prison, now the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial.

Studio Visit with Miriam Lenk

With views of the former Stasi prison, Miriam Lenk’s studio creates a striking contrast between past and present.

Her baroque and opulent visual language stands in powerful contrast to the austere architecture and the tragic history of the site.

Gain personal insights into Lenk’s artistic practice and her life as a visual artist in contemporary Berlin. At the heart of her work is a female archetype: larger-than-life, magnificent, commanding and self-assured. Her sculptures and paintings explore joie de vivre, sensuality and female eroticism as expressions of empowerment.

In addition to her work as a sculptor, Miriam Lenk devotes herself intensively to painting, exploring the dynamic relationship between sculpture and painting.

Villa Heike - Architecture and an Eventful History

The studio visit is followed by a walking tour of the neighborhood. The first stop is Villa Heike, an extraordinary place where history meets contemporary art.

Built in 1910 for industrialist Richard Heike, the villa was confiscated by the Soviet Army after the Second World War and subsequently served as a base for Soviet security agencies, including prison cells in the basement. It was later taken over by the Ministry for State Security, which established a secret archive for Nazi-era files here.

Starting 2015, the building was carefully restored under the direction of architect Christof Schubert, with the aim of preserving the visible traces of its eventful history.

Today, Villa Heike is a vibrant centre for contemporary art, housing artists’ studios, offices and exhibition spaces.

Lemke House - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

A walk around Orankesee leads to Lemke House, the last private residence designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in Germany before his emigration to the United States in 1938.

Completed in 1933 for the industrialist couple Karl and Martha Lemke, the house is an example of modernist architecture. Its clear lines and close relationship between architecture and landscape make it a remarkable expression of classical modernism.

After the Second World War, the house was used by the Red Army and later by institutions of the GDR. Thanks to civic engagement, it came under municipal ownership in 1990 and was opened to the public. In the early 2000s, it underwent a careful restoration based on the original plans.

Today, Lemke House presents changing exhibitions and invites visitors to experience art and architecture in a setting of outstanding significance.

A Relaxed Finale by Orankesee - Lunch and Conversation

To conclude this art and culture experience, Miriam Lenk takes you to the picturesque Orankesee. The day comes to a relaxed close at the Restaurant Orankesee-Terrassen, with its beautiful views across the water.

Over lunch or a drink, you will have the opportunity to get to know your host better, ask questions and continue the conversation about art, Berlin and the many impressions of the day.

Optional Extension

Afterwards, feel free to visit by your own the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial, the former central remand prison of the GDR’s Ministry for State Security.

The site offers a powerful insight into the mechanisms of political repression in the GDR and provides a moving and thought-provoking complement to the experiences and places explored during the day.