Idea

The Temporary Gardens were initiated in 1997 with the ambition to discover potentials in the urban space of Berlin and make them visible. Other goals wereto stress current positions of landscape architecture and to reestablish public space as a place for communication and interaction. The Temporary Gardens want to raise and encourage public interest for the topic of developing urban free spaces. They are a creative contribution to the discussion about the future appearance of Berlin's public space.

Locations that are normally hardly noticed by the public are highlighted for four days with imaginative installations, interactions and performances that offer different views on the place. These locations often suffer from a negative image or are subject of controversial political discussions. The Temporary Gardens interpret the existing situations. They try to encourage new ways of looking at places, try to emphasize their characteristics. A Temporary Garden is an invitation to make new experiences.

Initiators are Daniel Sprenger and Marc Pouzol, both landscape architects from Berlin. Many other supporters and partners work as volunteers on planning and realizing the project.

Order of Event

Every year the Temporary Gardens start with an invitation to landscape architects, artists, architects and students including theme and place. A commission chooses 20 submissions for realization.

During the following months the participants work on the realization of their projects while keeping close contact to the organizers. That means a lot of work for the participants and often also expenses since they have to find sponsors for the projects themselves.

The Temporary Gardens blossom out on the first weekend in July. From the big opening on Thursday night until Sunday evening all the participants work and celebrate together with the visitors. Music events, lectures and hourly guided tours through the gardens add to the celebration. During these days the chosen area is visited by those interested in arts and those that are just passing by. They get the opportunity to have a look at the pieces of art and also discuss them with the creators or other visitors.

And every year the French photographer Yann Monel saves impressions of this event. Each year in November an exhibition of his photographs offers a chance to talk about what has been achieved and to discuss new ideas and concepts to improve the Temporary Gardens as a forum for contemporary landscape architecture. This critical view on the event forms also the basis for the existing publications about them Temporary Gardens.