From the GDR to Today: “In Conversation with Ghosts” – Political Memory by Maithu Bùi and Josefine Reisch at SPREEPARK

How does a building carry within itself all the spirits of its past and the stories that have been forgotten? The exhibition In Conversation with Ghosts at SPREEPARK ART SPACE asks precisely this question. The show invites the artists to confront specific moments in the rich and contradictory history of the Eierhäuschen building.

The building’s past is more than just architecture; it mirrors the social and political memory of the German Democratic Republic (GDR):

• 1973 World Festival of Youth and Students: the building served as a café during the 10th World Festival in East Berlin.
• Archive depot: it functioned as storage for stage sets used by East German television.
• Radio studio: it hosted the broadcast of the radio programme Sieben bis Zehn: Sonntagmorgen in Spreeathen.

By touching these historical moments, the exhibition enters into dialogue with the ghosts of that era. Curated by Sandra Teitge, the selected artists include Maithu Bùi, Franziska Pierwoss, Josefine Reisch, and Gabriele Stötzer / Künstlerinnengruppe Erfurt. The works range from textile and film installations to acoustic interventions and newly produced radio programmes created on site.

Blending personal narratives with collective memory, the artists offer fresh perspectives on both the celebrated and the suppressed moments of the GDR. Maithu Bùi’s film and spatial installations, Josefine Reisch’s explorations of the boundary between dream and reality, and Gabriele Stötzer’s prints that reflect social realities all invite the viewer to confront the ghosts of that period.

Exhibition Information Summary

Title: In Conversation with Ghosts

Curator: Sandra Teitge

Venue: SPREEPARK ART SPACE · Eierhäuschen at Spreepark, Kiehnwerder Allee 2, 12437 Berlin

Dates: 23 November 2025 – 22 February 2026