Turbine Hall Commission by Asad Raza
12.09.2026 - 24.04.2027
On 12 September 2026, E-WERK Luckenwalde will open its next Turbine Hall Commission, by artist Asad Raza, and an accompanying wider exhibition by Raza across EWERK’s 10.000m2 site.
The project marks a collaboration between E-WERK, a not-for-profit regenerative power station and contemporary art centre, and Raza, known for his participatory and multisensory approach. Raza’s exhibition will span E–WERK’s historic Engine Room, Turbine Hall and additional exhibition rooms, as well as the outdoor spaces of the power station.
Save the date for the opening on Saturday 12 September between 16:00 - 22:00 with performances, talks and the first chapter of the rotating film exhibition featuring works by P. Staff, Ana Mendieta and Doug Aitken. More information will be shared soon.
About the exhibition
Raza’s research returns to the human discovery of electricity as a natural and even bodily element. Electron was originally the Greek word for amber, which the ancients knew could be rubbed to create sparks. The mechanism of spinning a magnet to send electric charge through a wire made this element controllable in new ways. Still, as Simon Schaffer, historian of science and scientific advisor to the project, observes, “The first century and a half of artificial electricity were all about performance. From the very early 1700s you see the generation of sparks and shocks, and that's what electricity meant in the public sphere.”
Accordingly, Raza’s exhibition will take place with a group of human interlocutors, the conductors, who will interact with visitors and artworks. The commission will examine the infrastructure of the power station and work with Kunststrom, the energy produced on site, rendering electricity as a natural phenomenon that can be physically experienced in space, rather than the invisible agent of technological innovations. Raza's sensory, sculptural, and performative interventions will amplify the generating function of the power station - making the invisible infrastructure of electricity visible and even palpable.
Public programme
E-WERK will also present a complimentary public programme featuring The Electric Sublime - a David Lynch film and music marathon (October 16 2026), a symposium (April 24 2027) and rotating film exhibition comprising three chapters, Electric Earth, Electric Power, and and Electric Sublime, featuring work by P.Staff, Ana Mendieta, Doug Aitken, Rachel Rose, Harun Farocki, Raven Chacon and more (September 2026 - April 2027). Full programme and dates to be announced soon.
The programme is curated by E-WERK’s Artistic Director Helen Turner, Producer Florine Lindner and Programme Assistant Domenico Roberti, in close collaboration with Asad Raza.
Asad Raza. Photo: E-WERK Luckenwalde
About the artist
Asad Raza (b.1974 in Buffalo, USA) is known for immersing audiences in multi-sensory, participatory experiences. His works often intervene in their surrounding environments, encouraging audiences to engage more deeply with the spaces around them and reflect on the relationship between humans and the natural world. Incorporating elements from nature into site-specific installations, he challenges the conventions of gallery settings by transforming them into active, experiential environments.
This exhibition is funded by the Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Federal Cultural Foundation), funded by the Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien (Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media), and with additional funding from the Ministry of Science, Research and Culture of the State of Brandenburg (MWFK), Teltow-Fläming Landkreis and the BJKS-Stiftung Teltow-Fläming of theder Mittelbrandenburgischen Sparkasse (MBS).
The Electric Sublime is funded by Initiative Musik with project funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. Additional support is provided by the City of Luckenwalde.
