Futurium Launches “Future Fields” with Cultivation Installation “Superland”

“Superland”: The growing oasis on the Futurium forecourt

The House of Futures has set down an organic installation to contrast with the concrete landscape of Berlin’s government district: “Superland”. The greened refuge on the Futurium forecourt consists of trellises with plants growing on five levels. It forms a walk-in, living system that oscillates between science, nature and art and brings Futurium’s new thematic focus to life. Be it through highlighting food security or the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss, the installation presents building blocks for solutions and appeals to all the senses.

“Subsonum” by Benjamin Frick, an art installation incorporated into “Superland”, makes tangible the soil’s hidden sounds and movements. A special wooden platform with a built-in shaker transmits the vibrations from the floor directly to the body. The sounds are recorded from a worm compost that is home to an especially large number of tiny creatures. A piezo microphone picks up the delicate movements there. In this way, “Subsonum” raises awareness of all the organisms to be found in a living and healthy soil. The “Superland” project was created in collaboration with Parzelle X and the artist Benjamin Frick. “Superland” will be officially launched on 22 May at 19:00 with an opening speech by Futurium Director Dr Stefan Brandt. Afterwards, you’re invited to a lecture performance with the Ensemble Apparat and renowned experts, who will take you on a thought-provoking journey into the future of agriculture and land use.

New thematic focus “Future Fields” at Futurium

Whether it’s our morning coffee or the cotton in our T-shirts – agriculture is deeply interwoven with our everyday lives. And yet, the way we deal with it is contradictory. On the one hand, we tend to take it for granted. On the other, it’s not unusual for us to be fundamentally critical of it. In any case, the situation is certainly complex: while agriculture secures the basis of our existence, it also contributes to global warming and endangers ecosystems. In a nutshell, agriculture is facing major challenges in terms of its future viability.

Dr Stefan Brandt, Director of Futurium:

“Our new thematic focus deals with a crucial area of societal tension, namely, the question of how can we manage land sustainably while ensuring food security? Futurium will show that even today there’s a wide range of innovative approaches to solutions that give grounds for hope. From 22 May, we want to bring our visitors together with experts from the realms of agriculture, research, politics and civil society to discuss what a sustainable agriculture might look like. The fact that Futurium has already welcomed more than three million visitors since its opening exceeds all our expectations. We take it both as a sign that our concept of providing an open arena for the discussion of future themes is working – and as an incentive to continue the discourse on issues of the future in a differentiated way that is directly relevant to people’s lives.”

Nicole Schneider, Commercial Managing Director:

“With the opening of the new thematic focus on agriculture, Futurium is dedicating itself to a topic of fundamental importance for human coexistence, both for us today and for future generations. The fact that up till now more than three million people have visited our House of Futures is impressive evidence of the great public interest in future-related topics. This success has only been possible thanks to the strong commitment of our partners, creative contributors and the entire team.”

As part of the “Future Fields” focus starting on 22 May 2025, Futurium’s exhibition, Lab and events will showcase technological, social and nature-derived approaches – from artificial intelligence in agriculture to indoor farming and agroforestry methods. The new tour with the free digital audio guide will be taking visitors to all the highlights of the thematic focus in the House of Futures. Until autumn, new exhibits for the Futurium Lab will be created with the participation of ordinary citizens. To this end, workshops focussing on the topic of soil will be starting in July. Registration is free of charge and possible via the Futurium website.

On the road with Futurium: Event series “Discover Berlin!”

In keeping with the new thematic focus “Future Fields”, Futurium will be expanding its radius beyond its usual location on the Spree. In June and July 2025, the event series “Discover Berlin!” will take place at four unusual locations in Berlin, including on one of the city’s few farms and in Germany’s largest allotment colony. Together with local partners, Futurium will be exploring how regional players have committed themselves to climate-friendly food, clean water and sustainable gardening. The series of events will make it possible to experience future-oriented action in urban spaces – while giving visitors the opportunity to discover new perspectives directly on site. All dates and locations of the event series can be found here.

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About Parzelle X

Since its opening in 2016, Parzelle X (Plot X) has been active in the field of environmental education and participatory planning of social open spaces. The founders behind Parzelle X are Lulu Dombois and Katharina Böhme. They are supported by an interdisciplinary team of landscape architects, ecologists, botanists, nature educators and permaculture designers. Parzelle X focusses on the social and participatory design of open spaces. By creating places of cultural, social and intergenerational diversity that enable a sense of neighbourly togetherness, they want to help counteract the increasing privatisation and commercialisation of public space.

About Benjamin Frick

Benjamin Frick is an artist with a degree in architecture and many years of experience as a skilled carpenter. He specialises in the design, planning and technical implementation of constructive installations. With his continuously growing knowledge and expertise in managing projects ranging from urban development to technical production management, he has realised works in temporary architecture, as well as interactive sculptures, that reshape urban and ecological spaces. His artistic approaches – using sound and art installations, for instance – complement his technical expertise and create immersive experiences.