Berliner Volksbühne concludes pool season with art performance

The Berliner Volksbühne marked the start of its new season with a performance art installation by Austrian artist Florentina Holzinger. To conclude the theater's use of a temporary 25-meter swimming pool, Holzinger and a group of performers descended from the building to scrub the facade, accompanied by water fountains.

Intendant Matthias Lilienthal described the temporary pool, which offered free swimming to the public, as a protest against the decay of urban infrastructure. The project saw approximately 20,000 visitors, with costs rising from 300,000 to roughly 410,000 euros.

The theater's recent history also includes controversy surrounding a canceled event for the Black community organization Each One Teach One (EOTO). Lilienthal noted that following racist discussions and threats related to that event, the staff and management faced significant pressure and safety concerns.