In Strings and Alone Together, Kahrs engages with the structure of the classical quartet and tests its limits. In Strings, a string quartet is intentionally thrown out of rhythm as the musicians swap instruments and positions after each movement. In Alone Together, a vocal quartet deconstructs a three-minute jazz classic through temporal expansion and spatial separation, transforming it into a 30-minute performance — a study of synchrony, autonomy, and collective failure, from which something new emerges.

Strings, 2010
String quartet

Alone Together, 2016
4 performers
Solistenensemble Kaleidoskop

Location: Musikinstrumenten-Museum, Tiergartenstrasse 1, 10785 Berlin

Hamburger Bahnhof on Tour

In spring 2026, as part of Annika Kahrs’ exhibition, a performance programme will take place that, for the first time, offers an overview of the artist’s performances from the past sixteen years. In these works too, Kahrs explores musical structures as well as the codes and parameters of music production, performance practice, and listening habits. By questioning virtuosity and deliberately dissolving traditional forms, she creates new ways of experiencing music.

The performances form part of the event series Hamburger Bahnhof On Tour. With this series, marking its 30th anniversary, the museum places a special focus on collaboration and exchange with other cultural partners across Berlin.

Curator: Ingrid Buschmann

An event by Freunde* Guter Musik Berlin e. V.
in cooperation with
Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart
Musikinstrumenten-Museum
Berliner Medizinhistorisches Museum der Charité
Ev. Heilige-Geist-Kirche-Gemeinde

Made possible by Hauptstadtkulturfonds. Supported by FREUNDE der Nationalgalerie and Hamburger Bahnhof International Companions e. V.