Jakob Kudsk Steensen is a visual artist working with storytelling via 3D animations and sound. He creates immersive installations with particular focus on the climate. His work Berl-Berl is a song for the udefinable—morphing, liminal and mystical. Berl-Berl mourns what is lost and embraces what is new.
The exhibition is located at ARoS’ level 1 where Jakob Kudsk Steensen makes use of the entire gallery space, the open space in front of the gallery, and the staircase leading down to it to create a total experience. The architecture has been entirely given over to the virtual and sensory universe of the work where large-scale LED screens divide up the space.
The title Berl-Berl originates from the ancient Slav word, Berl, meaning a swamp. The word is believed to form the etymological root of Berlin, the name of the German capital, located at what used to be extensive wetlands, now much reduced. Inspired by Slav traditions where songs and verses were generally employed to navigate swamps and wetlands, Jakob Kudsk Steensen began an important collaboration with the musician ARCA on writing new songs to be experienced as part of the work.
Berl-Berl is commissioned by Light Art Space (LAS) and was initially presented in the legendary Halle am Berghain in Berlin in the autumn of 2021. The exhibition was a great success with more than 31,000 visitors and much international media attention.
