A PLACE TO STAY, SPREEPARK ARTSPACE, BERLIN, 2026

A Place to Stay is an invitation by artist Iván Argote (*1983, Bogotá, Colombia) to reconsider the meaning and possibilities of public space. Through sculptures, installations, films, and performative actions, Argote explores the relationships between people, power structures, and belief systems, while challenging dominant historical narratives. His work is guided by his own principle of “Radical Tenderness,” in which critique, protest, and provocative gestures are intertwined with emotion, humour, and an openness to imagining new forms of community and solidarity within the public space.

The exhibition A Place to Stay presents Argote’s long-term project Activissime comprehensively for the first time. For over fifteen years, Argote has led protest workshops with children across different countries, fostering critical thinking while creating space for their perspectives to be heard. As central elements of the spatial installation, three independent film works invite viewers to delve into the origins, development and reflection of Activissime and to trace Argote’s intensive engagement with the symbolic and political use of public space.

The sculptures situated outdoors encourage playful interaction while also referencing Argote’s permanent work Bridges Spreepark, a bridge ensemble conceived for the future Spreepark.