Artist Statement
My many interests can be distilled down the question: How do we inscribe and read meaning into the landscape? Focusing on urban-ecological environments, I explore themes of sensemaking, belonging and (hi)stories through my (visual) art, writing, curatorial work, and bureaucratic practice.
My artistic pratice is rooted in (documentary) photography and visual anthropology and I work on the intersection of art and science. At the moment, I am particulary interested in the connection between Water & Time. As well as how Text in Public Space shapes the latter.
I acknowledge the autonomy of the subjects I engage with and often find that the method of descriptive observation is the most powerful way to convey my ideas. I firmly believe that it is through through the act of noticing our surroundings, we can shift our perspectives, and our descriptions, and through this, change the world.
I use photography, walking, mapping, poetry, and ethnographic writing to study the sites of interests. The encounters and confluences of people, ideas, and worlds are my main motivators across all my projects.
Contact
︎ cleo.waechter@gmail.com
︎ +49 (0)159 0123 5167
⚲ BER/NL
CV
EXHIBITIONS & PRESENTATIONS (Selection)
2026 Artistic Walk, Spree Credos - Embodying Virtual Water, WasserWissenParcours, Berlin University Alliance (22 March 2026)2025 Workshop, Sharing the View, le geste du commun, curated by Livia Tarsia in Curia & Emilie d’Ornato (November 19-21, 2025)2025 Solo Exhibition, Report of the Outside, Kanapé Studio — Berlin, DE (27 May – 5 June)
2021 Audio Walk, A Soft Guide to the Floating Trees, Climate Care Festival, Floating University (2–18 September), Berlin, DE
2020 Virtual Group Exhibition, Pathways to Reconnection (12–26 June), Visual & Media Anthropology — FU Berlin, DE
2018 Duo-presentation & Book-launch, Objectief Nederland, Fotofestival Schiedam – NL
2017 Duo-presentation, Objectief Nederland, Landschapstriënnale – Haarlemmermeer, NL
2016 Solo-presentation, Autostop – Retracing Routes, Opzicht, Stroom – The Hague, NL
2016 Group exhibition, LAND/MADE, Jan van Eyck Academy – Maastricht, NL
2016 Group exhibition, Lost and found, Museum of Poreč Territory – HR
2016 Group exhibition, 1st international photography symposium, Mark Rothko Art Center – Daugnavpils, LV
2015 Solo presentation, Researching the landscape, Statenlokaal, Chamber of parliament – The Hague, NL
2015 Graduation exhibition, Anthropocene, Royal Academy of Arts – The Hague, NL
CURATION
2024 By Way of Water (1 August – 13 October 2024), Curated by Annika Reketat & Cleo Wächter, Bärenzwinger — Berlin, DE2023 ADDRESSING (10 November 2023 – 4 February 2024), Co-curated by Julius Kaftan, Joanna Stamer, Vanessa Göppner
& Cleo Wächter, Bärenzwinger — Berlin, DE
2023 Promising Premises, Curated by Lusin Reinsch & Cleo Wächter, Bärenzwinger — Berlin, DE
2023 Roaming Winters, Curated by Livia in Tarsia Curia, Lara Huessmann & Cleo Wächter, Bärenzwinger — Berlin, DE
2019 Insights, Curated filmScreening, The Institute of Endotic Research — Berlin, DE
RELATED PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
2025 – Present Communication & Public Relations | Allmende-Kontor e.V., Tempelhofer Feld, Berlin2022 – 2024 Research assistant & Program Coordinator | City Culture, Art in Public Space and Architectural Art, Department or Art, History and Culture, City District of Mitte – Berlin, DE
2022 – 2024 Member of the Artistic Direction Team of the Municipal Gallery the Bärenzwinger – Berlin, DE
2022 Research & Production | Studio Johannes Förster & Julian Charrière, Berlin
2021 – 2022 Technical Assistant – Studium Generale, Wxtchcraft | Royal Academy of Art, The Hague / Virtual
2019 – 2021 Project Space Assistant | The Institute for Endotic Research (TIER) – Berlin, DE
2017 – 2018 Photography Commission – Objectief Nederland | Government Advisor for Landscape and Living Environment, The Netherlands
2015 – 2019 Freelance Art & Culture Mediator | Including NEST, Humanity House, & Museum Meermanno – The Hague, NL
ARTIST RESIDENCIES
2025 De Maaswacht — Maastricht, NL2024 ReRouting Weekend Walking Residency, Künstlerhof Frohnau, Germany (June 2024)
2019 ISSP Gallery Residency — Riga, LV (March & October)
2016 First International Photography Symposium, Mark Rothko Art Centre — Daugavpils, LV (April 2016)
BOOKS
2018 Objectief Nederland: Changing Landscape 1974–2017, published by Nai0102016 Autostop — Retracing Routes, Design: Lisa Laperre, self-published
2015 Anthropocene — Mapping the New Geology of the Netherlands, self-published
ESSAYS & ARTICLES (Selection)
2026 From Roots to Roof — On the Mapquilt Tree, on the work of Stephanie Imbeau, with Lusin Reinsch2025 Uncertainty in Consensus, on the work of Patricia Sandonis, with Lusin Reinsch, Museo Patio Herreriano — Valladolid, ES
2024 Growing Through the Asphalt: Weeds as Art, in collaboration with Lusin Reinsch, Mitte Magazin — Berlin, DE
2023 Gott Miau Miau Avatar Mutter (God Meow Meow Avatar Mother), in collaboration with Lusin Reinsch — Berlin, DE
2021 Initiation, personal essay, Coven Berlin, online— DE
2020 How to Catch a Shadow, Mister Motley, online – NL
2017 Time traveling through the Netherlands, part of Objectief Nederland: Changing Landscape 1974–2017, published by Nai010
AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS & NOMINATIONS
2017 MA Abroad Culture Scholarship, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds — NL2016 Spot Publication Funding, Stroom – The Hague, NL
2016 Dialoog Scholarship, Fotodok & Vrij Nederland — NL
2015 *Nomination, Unseen Dummy Awards – NL
ARTIST TALKS & PERFORMANCES (Selection)
2025 Lecture, Giving Titles to the View, Cultural and Social Geography at Humboldt University of Berlin2024 Moderation, Poetscorner, Poetry Festival Berlin, Satellites — Berlin, DE
2023 Poetry Reading, Poetscorner, Poetry Festival Berlin, No Man is an Island — Berlin, DE
2019 Artist Talk, Opening of the Academic Year, Photography Department, Royal Academy of Arts — The Hague, NL
2018 Artist Talk, COLLOQUIUM: Recollecting Landscapes, Flanders Architecture Institute — Antwerp, BE
2017 Artist Talk, Symposium Objectief Nederland: The Future of the Landscape, Landschapstriennale — Haarlemmermeer, NL
ASSOCIATIONS & COLLECTIVES
Since 2022 Association Member, Community Garden Allmende Kontor e.V., Tempelhofer Feld — Berlin, DESince 2024 Collective member of an art & performance platform — Berlin, DE
2015-2019 Artist with Stroom – The Hague, NL
EDUCATION
2022 – 2024 Fellow – CAMPI Programme (Curating & Management in Public Institutions) | Department of Art, Culture & History, Mitte District 2017– 2021 Master of Arts, Visual and Media Anthropology, Freie Universität Berlin – Berlin, DE
2011 – 2014 Bachelor of Design, Documentary Photography, Royal Academy of Arts – The Hague, NL
2014 Internship, Nicolai Høwalt – Copenhagen, DK