Noting Absence, the current solo exhibition of Anke Buchmann

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Artspring Festival, Anke Buchmann (alumna of UdK Berlin and Central Saint Martins) invites the public to her studio in Sredzkistraße on May 30th and 31st for a comprehensive retrospective. The highlight of the exhibition is the participatory performance “Noting Absence," which transforms the archaic technique of the pinch-pot into a haptic feedback system for meditative introspection.

Photo by James McKinnon, 2018

Inspired by Ettore Sottsass’s vision of the object as a "therapeutic act," Buchmann

explores the tension between disciplined structures and the radical freedom of the body. In

a four-hour performance cycle, the artist synchronizes breath and gesture while shaping

clay bowls. The unique condition: any vessel created during a moment of mental

distraction is immediately dropped. Only objects formed in complete unity of body and

mind remain.

"Noting Absence turns the unconscious process of distraction into a conscious act,"

Buchmann explains. "The clay fragments accumulating on the floor form a sculptural

installation that reveals the 'data stream' of our consciousness and the moments of our

absence.”

Participation and Deceleration

Visitors are invited not only to witness but to become part

of the inquiry. Sitting in a chair opposite the artist, guests can engage with the clay

themselves to explore their own stillness. This somatic experience is enhanced by a

performance garment designed by Lukasz Studencki, which slows down movement

and sharpens physical awareness.

About the Artist

Anke Buchmann combines ceramics, performance, and sculptural research. Following

exhibitions in London (Wellcome Collection, British Ceramic Biennial) and Berlin, she

views her practice as a “quiet resistance" against the optimization logic of our time. She is

a member of the Professional Association of Visual Artists (BBK Berlin).

EVENT DETAILS

Location: Studio Anke Buchmann, Sredzkistr. 46, 10435 Berlin

Dates: May 30 (5–8 PM) & May 31 (11 AM – 8 PM)

Performance Schedule (May 31): 11:00 | 13:00 | 15:00 | 17:00 (60 min each)

Admission: Free / Part of Artspring 2026