Lara Nelke
Lara Nelke

Lara Nelke is an artist and spatial designer based in Berlin. In her artistic practice, she is concerned with the infrastructures of the Anthropocene and places of gathering and relaxation. Especially in urban space, she investigates and intervenes invisible power structures that shape the everyday. Using performance, site-specific temporary installations, and mediating objects, she creates miniatures of speculative places to dream an alternative present.

Since +7 years she is a freelance art director and designer working for artists, cultural and commercial clients. She also offers design consulting for starting a project or giving input and reflection on running projects. Commercial Portfolio on request.

She is part of the editor's collective of Uncanny Issues, founded by a group of researchers, artists, and designers at the Berlin University of the Arts as a transdisciplinary platform offering an open space for artists, theorists, scientists, writers, and activists to explore the potentials of current discontent.

Education
2012 – 2016 University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf: BA Communication Design
2017 – 2020 University of Arts Berlin: MA Spatial and Exhibition Design
2019 Musashino Art University Tokyo: Exchange Semester in Scenography, Fashion and Display

Exhibitions & Residencies

2025 Double Take – Garden Show No. 6, affair, Berlin

2025 Non-Authorized Honorary, SPOILER, Berlin

2025 SOFF Creative Residency, Kladrubce, Czech Republic

2024 The Palace Residency, Gorzanow, Poland

2024 The Free City, Mayer Pavilion, Berlin

2023 BETON Berlin #12, Berlin
2023 OFFJECT – Meeting artifacts and new objects, Monopol, Berlin
2023 Beobachtungsstelle für Anomalien, ongoing, Berlin
2022 Uncanny Entrepreneurship, TRUST, Berlin
2022 POLYETHERNET 2.0, Fluid Festival, Berlin
2022 In Search of Overwhelming Banality: The Status Quo of Public Spaces, One Minute Space, Athens
2020 What Is My Life Now That I Am Never Bored?, Rundgang.io (Online)
2019 Sampling, MAU Gallery, Tokyo
2019 KKJ#2, Erratum Gallery, Berlin
2019 Vorspiel transmediale: Spaces of Communication, designtransfer, Berlin
2015 Der Zerstörte Ort, Johanneskirche, group show, Düsseldorf

Publications
Since 2018 Editor and designer of the publication project Un Series, ­together with ­Konstantin ­Haensch, Matthias Planitzer and Caroline ­Ballegaard
2022 Un Series Volume 2: Uncanny ­Entrepreneurship, Textem Verlag Hamburg
2021 It’s Really Good Bad, artist ­publication ­together with Linda Franken, Nina ­Barret-Mémy and Anna Osterberg, Stockholm University
2019 Un Series Volume 1: Uncanny ­Interfaces, Textem Verlag Hamburg

Lectures and workshops

Since 2023 Teaching at bbk Berlin: Courses in graphic design, layout and print production
2023 Artist talk and workshop, Fröbel Atelier, Essen

2022 RHIZOM, Formfeld Festival, Workshop
2020 Performativität und öffentlicher Raum, ZHdK Zürich, Master Dramaturgie, Lecture
2020 What Is My Life Now That I Am Never ­Bored?, Klasse Klima, Universität der Künste Berlin, Lecture

Open for collaboration and new projects! Contact me via:

✦ hello@laranelke.com
✦ IG @nelkner___

Lara Nelke

Lara Nelke is an artist and spatial designer based in Berlin. In her artistic practice, she is concerned with the infrastructures of the Anthropocene and places of gathering and relaxation. Especially in urban space, she investigates and intervenes invisible power structures that shape the everyday. Using performance, site-specific temporary installations, and mediating objects, she creates miniatures of speculative places to dream an alternative present.

Since +5 years she is a freelance graphic designer working for artists, cultural and commercial clients. She also offers design consulting for starting a project or giving input and reflection on running projects. A year ago she started pivoting into set design and scenography and worked in collaborations to produce set- and exhibition designs. Commercial Portfolio on request.

She is part of the editor's collective of Uncanny Issues, founded by a group of researchers, artists, and designers at the Berlin University of the Arts as a transdisciplinary platform offering an open space for artists, theorists, scientists, writers, and activists to explore the potentials of current discontent.

Education
2012 – 2016 University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf: BA Communication Design
2017 – 2020 University of Arts Berlin: MA Spatial and Exhibition Design
2019 Musashino Art University Tokyo: Exchange Semester in Scenography, Fashion and Display

Exhibitions
2023 BETON Berlin #12, Berlin
2023 OFFJECT – Meeting artifacts and new objects, Monopol, Berlin
2023 Beobachtungsstelle für Anomalien, ongoing, Berlin
2022 Uncanny Entrepreneurship, TRUST, Berlin
2022 POLYETHERNET 2.0, Fluid Festival, Berlin
2022 In Search of Overwhelming Banality: The Status Quo of Public Spaces, One Minute Space, Athens
2020 What Is My Life Now That I Am Never Bored?, Rundgang.io (Online)
2019 Sampling, MAU Gallery, Tokyo
2019 KKJ#2, Erratum Gallery, Berlin
2019 Vorspiel transmediale: Spaces of Communication, designtransfer, Berlin
2015 Der Zerstörte Ort, Johanneskirche, Düsseldorf

Publications
Since 2018 Editor and designer of the publication project Un Series, ­together with ­Konstantin ­Haensch, Matthias Planitzer and Caroline ­Ballegaard
2022 Un Series Volume 2: Uncanny ­Entrepreneurship, Textem Verlag Hamburg
2021 It’s Really Good Bad, artist ­publication ­together with Linda Franken, Nina ­Barret-Mémy and Anna Osterberg, Stockholm University
2019 Un Series Volume 1: Uncanny ­Interfaces, Textem Verlag Hamburg

Lectures and workshops
2022 RHIZOM, Formfeld Festival, Workshop
2020 Performativität und öffentlicher Raum, ZHdK Zürich, Master Dramaturgie, Lecture
2020 What Is My Life Now That I Am Never ­Bored?, Klasse Klima, Universität der Künste Berlin, Lecture

Open for collaboration and new projects! Contact me via:

✦ hello@laranelke.com
✦ Instagram @nelkner___

Lara Nelke