Institut Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt is hosting a comprehensive solo exhibition by internationally acclaimed installation and performance artist Nevin Aladağ until February 1, 2026.
Bringing together diverse artistic forms with great freedom, Aladağ masterfully merges disciplines such as sculpture, painting, textile, video, and sound. Her playful and experimental approach offers viewers a new perceptual experience that activates both visual and auditory senses. By exploring the possibilities of form, material, and sound, the artist creates multilayered works that expand the boundaries of art itself.
For Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt, Aladağ has created a site-specific installation that examines the relationship between artistic genres, the body, and space — transforming traditional definitions of art through this interplay. The fusion of visual art, music, and performance generates resonant spaces that evoke multifaceted associations with contemporary themes such as identity, community, and globalization.
The exhibition title, Raise the Roof, refers to a dance performance that the artist restaged for the 2017 Venice Biennale. Yet its meaning extends beyond that single work: the phrase not only alludes to the literal act of lifting a roof, but also metaphorically suggests the trembling or upheaval of an entire structure. By engaging with the dimensions and architecture of the Mathildenhöhe exhibition hall, Aladağ explores the full potential of both her artworks and the space itself.
Once the heart of the Darmstadt Artists’ Colony, Mathildenhöhe has long been a meeting point where art, design, and architecture intersected with music, dance, and theater. Nevin Aladağ reinterprets this historical legacy through the lens of contemporary artistic language, transforming the concept of the “Gesamtkunstwerk” (total work of art) into a modern discourse.
In her practice, the integration of music and performance adds a multilayered narrative to her works; sound and movement become vital elements that strengthen the connection between the artwork and the viewer. Her site-specific works aim to turn the audience from mere observers into active participants, making them an integral part of the artistic experience.
The dynamic interplay of art, music, and performance leads the viewer not only into a visual experience but also into a multidimensional field of resonance one that invites reflection on identity, belonging, community, and globalization.
