In Berghain you can bathe in deep blue light

By Sebastian Bauer

The artist Ian Cheng shows the possible future in Berghain.

The future has already started. At least a little bit of it. In the Halle am Berghain, US artist Ian Cheng (38) takes us into his vision of the year 2074. Even if the concept seems very techno-philosophical, the “Life After BOB” show is impressive.

The project, made possible by the Berlin art platform Light Art Space (LAS), is about artificial intelligence (AI) and the merging of man and machine.

US artist Ian Cheng presents his show

US artist Ian Cheng presents his show “Life After BOB” in the Halle am Berghain Photo: Pete Mueller

The BOB from the exhibition’s title is an AI devised by Cheng that (only in fiction, of course) is fed into people’s brains and optimizes their lives, as explained in a cartoon made especially for the show.

Incidentally, Cheng came up with the idea while reading children’s books with his then two-year-old daughter. After she wanted to climb into the book to the farm animals depicted there, the artist developed his own connection between fiction and reality.

In the Halle am Berghain, US artist Ian Cheng (38) takes us to his vision of the year 2074

In the Halle am Berghain, US artist Ian Cheng (38) takes us to his vision of the year 2074 Photo: Peter Mueller

And while the idea behind the project offers plenty to think about, friends of the visual exhibition experience will also get their money’s worth. The hall at Berghain, which is already bursting with industrial charm, was wrapped in dim darkness on the inside and welcomes the visitor with a smoky fog, through which he slowly moves.

Finally, a laser casts a carpet of blue light across the room at chest height, making it look like wading through a lake. A techno soundtrack and artificial sunrise over the light waters make the amazement perfect.

Visitors can even take a digital work of art home with them. If this is the future, please do more of it! Until November 6, at the Wriezen train station, 15 euros

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