SOFT POWER FESTIVAL 2026

Initiated by Anahita Sadighi, “Soft Power” conceives of art as a collective practice that opens up spaces for encounter, resonance, and new forms of coexistence.

Her curatorial choreography follows a chronological progression: Arrival → Listening → Remembering → Imagining → Coming Together → Hosting → Ritualizing → Resonating → Celebrating → Becoming—a process in which cultural and political influence emerges from encounter, trust, and shared experience.

The exhibition, co-curated with María Inés Plaza Lazo, forms the core content of the festivals. It features around 40 artists working in the visual arts, performance, and food art. In addition to the exhibition, Sonnenraum will host a 48-hour dance floor, while a wide-ranging talk program will explore questions of collective imagination, the role of culture as a political practice, and the relationship between art and nightlife.

The framework is provided by a 72-hour radio program developed in collaboration with Refuge Worldwide, which brings together international voices, artistic contributions, conversations, and musical perspectives.

This marks the first time the Haus der Visionäre will be used on this scale: Two industrial halls, the Sonnenraum, and the outdoor area will be part of the three-day festival—a total of approximately 4,200 m² where art, music, and nightlife will come together in such a diverse way for the first time.

In parallel, the Anahita Sadighi Gallery at Schlüterstraße 16 will present a satellite exhibition that extends the festival’s thematic scope.

The “Soft Power” format was developed by Anahita Sadighi and presented for the first time as a “Special Project” during Berlin Art Week in 2025, followed by Mexico Art Week in 2026. “Soft Power” is based at the Anahita Sadighi Gallery, which positions itself at the intersection of ancient and contemporary art.

Anahita Sadighi, born in Tehran in 1988 and raised in Berlin, is a gallery owner, curator, and musician. She founded the Anahita Sadighi Gallery as well as “The Loft presents,” a multidisciplinary art and music series. Her curatorial practice bridges different cultures, eras, and disciplines, bringing underrepresented voices in art and culture to the forefront.