Berlin's name comes from a Slavic word for swamp, and Jakob Kudsk Steensen turns the city's vanished wetlands into a living, singing digital world built from photogrammetry, 3D scans and game-engine tech. Arca collaborated on the sound, and field recordings of real swamps become rhythm and song. If immersive digital art is your thing, this is a fresh reason to step into MoMA.
What to expect
Expect an ever-changing landscape on a large digital wall, filled with scanned rocks, plants and animals and set to folklore-inspired songs and transformed swamp recordings. It is an ambient piece you can watch for a few minutes or settle in with.
Good to know
- Installed in the Agnes Gund Garden Lobby on MoMA's first floor
- Nearest subway is the E/M at Fifth Avenue–53rd Street
- The work keeps changing, so a second look shows something new
- A good pick for fans of Arca, electronic music and nature-meets-tech art
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Common questions
What is Berl-Berl?
A digital landscape by Jakob Kudsk Steensen reimagining Berlin's lost wetlands, titled after the Slavic word for swamp at the root of Berlin's name.
Who made the music?
The work emerged through collaborations with the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and the musician Arca.
