In the context of FIRE. From the Cosmos to the Commons
Meeting point: St. Nikolai Memorial
Free admission
Shot from the artist's studio, 2025, © Melike Kara; Photo: Şirin Şimşek
The 2026 summer project presented by the City Curator of Hamburg is centered on the subject of fire. FIRE. From the Cosmos to the Commons explores apocalypse and healing through a group exhibition at the St. Nikolai Memorial, curated by Joanna Warsza. The exhibition features a series of site-specific works by Hamburg-based as well as international artists that explore the political, ecological, and spiritual dimensions of fire in times of acute social urgency.
Two satellite projects expand the programme: with the exhibition Nobody Ran, Andrey Klassen addresses illusion and collective denial in the face of climate change. The presentation is a contribution by the Kunsthaus Hamburg, curated by Anna Nowak, and takes place in the immediate vicinity of the St. Nikolai Memorial in a new project space at Admiralitätstraße 75, which the Kunsthaus is temporarily inhabiting. As a second satellite, the installation Sunflower Fields by artist Agnes Denes, curated by Joanna Warsza, returns to Hamburg’s urban landscape. At Hammaburg-Platz, the sunflower field, which was already on view last year in the Stadtpark, will be newly planted as a symbol of regeneration.
At the same time, as part of the 9th Triennial of Photography Hamburg 2026, the Kunsthaus Hamburg is presenting a solo exhibition by Melike Kara at its own premises at Klosterwall 15. For this installation, the artist burned parts of her photographic archive for the first time and has incorporated the remains into a large-scale installation.
Through joint tours, FIRE. From the Cosmos to the Commons, the exhibition by Andrey Klassen, the installation by Agnes Denes and the exhibition by Melike Kara will be brought into dialogue with one another.