Prototyp

Constantin Hartenstein – Prototyp Galerie Parterre, 30.4. – 28.6.2026 Kleiner Wasserspeicher, Diedenhofer Straße 20, 10405 Berlin For the exhibition Prototyp, Constantin Hartenstein has conceived and constructed spatial installations that draw attention to standardised situations. The spaces created by the artist offer insights into our present day, including the everyday, recurring routines and interactions that are inherent to it. The term ‘Prototyp‘ (prototype) usually refers to models used to prepare for mass production or to test functionality. To what extent are people, too, becoming mass-produced commodities in an increasingly standardised society? Hartenstein’s works are sober, incisive descriptions of the current state of affairs. Rather than being fully articulated social critiques, they can be understood as invitations to conversation, as a starting point for an exchange about the structures that influence our lives. Our lives? Who is part of the group that becomes the subject of the artist’s scrutiny? Hartenstein’s works refer to a reality of life in which large sections of mainstream German society may recognise themselves, whilst also alluding to codes and imagery from queer and East German communities. For the works in the exhibition, Hartenstein constructs metal plinths, brackets and shelves, on which are displayed ready mades as well as specially commissioned glass objects. Mass-produced goods and individual objects are transformed into art in equal measure. Another recurring element is the use of materials manufactured in the GDR. In the exhibition Prototyp, this takes the form of a dark blue textile, though previously it has also included pigments or glass panels. In the exhibition Prototyp, Constantin Hartenstein depicts human beings through the infrastructure he has created. The exhibition plays with the illusion of a standardised society that becomes the setting for a thoroughly optimised human being. Within such an environment, the question of individual existence cannot be considered in isolation from power relations and claims to power. Whether in the form of a truncheon, a stamp carousel or a EUR-pallet –many elements of the exhibition can be understood as symbols of power. What distinguishes the assembly line in a factory from the treadmill in a gym? Seemingly, standards manifest themselves in all areas of our lives, assuming forms that often seem self-evident to us. The idea of a society in which structures and standards dissolve resonates in Constantin Hartenstein’s works – a notion that exhibits both utopian and dystopian potential. Galerie Parterre is presenting the exhibition Prototyp at Kleiner Wasserspeicher, an industrial landmark in Prenzlauer Berg. Curated by Björn Brolewski and Lars Holdgate List of artworks, sorted by filename Image 01: Constantin Hartenstein, SPARGEL, 2026, Screen print on stainless steel Images 02 and 03: Constantin Hartenstein, SANITATION UNIT, 2026, Stainless steel, glass, showerhead, shower faucet, drain grate Image 04: Constantin Hartenstein, LOAD UNIT, 2026, Stainless steel, acrylic glass, neodymium magnets (foreground) and CRISIS UNIT, 2026, Stainless steel, solar radio, water canister, metal cans, backpack, toilet paper, first aid kit, PET water bottles, notepad, hygiene kit, water bottle, thermos, soap, camping stove, storage containers, duct tape, rope, sleeping bag, canned food (background) Images 05 and 06: Constantin Hartenstein, CRISIS UNIT, 2026, Stainless steel, solar radio, water canister, metal cans, backpack, toilet paper, first aid kit, PET water bottles, notepad, hygiene kit, water bottle, thermos, soap, camping stove, storage containers, duct tape, rope, sleeping bag, canned food (background) Image 07: Constantin Hartenstein, WASTE UNIT, 2026, Stainless steel, trash bag holder, screen prints on trash bags Image 08: Constantin Hartenstein, LOAD UNIT, 2026, Stainless steel, acrylic glass, neodymium magnets Image 09: Constantin Hartenstein, EXCLUSION UNIT, 2026, Stainless steel, glass, file folders, ink pads, retractable ballpoint pens, LED display Image 10: Constantin Hartenstein, FKK UNIT, 2026, Stainless steel, GDR fabric (foreground) and CONTROL UNIT, 2026, Stainless steel, glass, police belt, police holster, magazine pouch, jockstrap, rubber (background) Image 11: Constantin Hartenstein, CONTROL UNIT, 2026, Stainless steel, glass, police belt, police holster, magazine pouch, jockstrap, rubber Images 12, 13 and 14: Constantin Hartenstein, TRAINING UNIT, 2026, Stainless steel, glass, gym bench, lockers, towel, gym bag, C-print, neodymium magnets Image 15: Constantin Hartenstein, IMPACT UNIT, 2026, Stainless steel, baseball bat Image 16: Constantin Hartenstein, BOTTLE UNIT, 2026, Glass transport rack, projection screen, video (foreground) and WASTE UNIT, 2026, Stainless steel, trash bag holder, screen prints on trash bags All images by Marjorie Brunet Plaza