Afloat / Sound of Waves at the Diesel Power Station Cottbus: Experience Water as Sound Art

When Water Sounds: Afloat / Sound of Waves at the Diesel Power Station Cottbus

The exhibition Afloat / Sound of Waves transforms the Brandenburg State Museum for Modern Art into a resonance space for contemporary art, sound, and ecological perception. The project by Radio Industry and Transmitter explores water as a fluid medium and connects visual media, site-specific sound works, documentaries, and artistic research.

Water as Artistic Thought and Sound Field

At the center of the exhibition is the question of how water can not only be represented but also heard, spatially experienced, and understood as a cultural process. The presented works were created during the AFLOAT sessions at the Gramzow storage facility in August 2026. There, a former industrial monument was transformed into a sound lab, radio laboratory, and resonance body for artists and musicians.

Visual Media, Sound Works, and Local Currents

The pop-up exhibition combines visual art with acoustic perception. Visual media, experimental sound compositions, and documentary materials enter into a dialogue with local waters, landscapes, and currents. Thus, a multifaceted observation of works emerges, blending installation, media art, sound art, and place-based research.

Artistic Research between Nature and Technology

Contributors include Jana Debrodt, Moana Ava Holenstein, Chris Keller, Jacob Stoy, Clemens Pitschke, Fountains with Nora Merten and Kathleen Pracht, Ann Cotten, Monika Rinck, Blablabor with Annette Schmucki and Reto Friedmann, Christina Friedrich, Wolfgang Krause, as well as Frank Wiemeyer and Kowitec. Their contributions open up different perspectives on sensory perception, environmental awareness, radio art, literature, and digital media.

The atmosphere of the exhibition thrives on the connection between spatial impact, sound, and visual concentration. Water appears as material, form of movement, memory space, and societal topic. The aesthetic experience arises in the interplay between quiet observation and acoustic presence.

Cultural Education through Sensory Experience

Afloat / Sound of Waves invites a re-examination of the boundaries between painting, installation, sound art, and documentary art. The project makes cultural education about perception experiences tangible: visitors listen more closely, observe more consciously, and discover how artistic processes make ecological connections visible and audible.

Conclusion: An Art Experience for Eyes, Ears, and Imagination

At the Diesel Power Station Cottbus, art enthusiasts can expect an atmospheric exhibition about water, sound, and the dynamic relationship between humans, landscapes, and technology. Those who appreciate contemporary media art, experimental sound works, and historically open formats will experience an exhibition that cannot only be viewed but is physically and acoustically accessible. A visit promises aesthetic experience, new perspectives, and cultural enrichment.

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Sources:

• City of Cottbus – Exhibition Afloat / Sound of Waves
• Brandenburg Society for Culture and History – Exhibition Details and Admission
• City of Prenzlau – Radio Industry AFLOAT Sessions
• Transmitter – AFLOAT Logbook