The CONCEPTUAL Biennale is a platform for open dialogue, interdisciplinary collaboration and community building. It highlights the local and global conceptual community, comprising transdisciplinary practices with a conceptual approach and way of thinking that bridge art, design, and architecture. At the same time, it critically engages with the societal questions that these practices raise, while recognising their cultural significance.

Founded by Tina Roeder, Anton Rahlwes, and Thilo Reich, the Biennale takes place in and around San Gimignano Lichtenberg, a redevelopment project of a former GDR factory located behind the Dong Xuan Center. At its core is a three-part exhibition featuring contributions from an ongoing open call alongside curated positions. This is complemented by the two-day CONCEPTUAL Roundtable (“Towards a Symposium”) and other formats designed to actively involve the audience.

The Exhibition in Dialogue

The exhibition is curated by Tina Roeder (initiator and artistic director of the Biennale), Anton Rahlwes (designer, artist and journalist) and Matylda Krzykowski (designer). Journalist Nina Sieverding will contextualise the roundtable. Participatory formats have been developed by the Studio for Immediate Spaces at the Sandberg Instituut. The launch is accompanied by an international advisory board including Carina Bukuts, Carson Chan, Bilge Kalfa, Dan Thawley and Liv Vaisberg.

Berlin as a Resonance Space

The chosen location is part of the programme: San Gimignano Lichtenberg stands for migration, urban transformation, and production cultures. Here, the slow, discursive Biennale format consciously meets the accelerated 24/7 present: it creates independence, invites critical engagement, and leverages the momentum of a new Berlin-based network for international discourse. The Biennale thus addresses a gap: while design, architecture, and art are developing rapidly in a transdisciplinary manner, Berlin is often underrepresented in this global conversation.