JEPPE HEIN
FORUM AN DER MUSEUMSINSEL

FORUM AN DER MUSEUMSINSEL, BERLIN, GERMANY
FROM APRIL 2025

With the arrival of spring, four of Jeppe Hein’s Modified Social Benches and a Modified Street Light bring a vibrant and playful touch to the Forum an der Museumsinsel in Berlin Mitte.

Inspired by both traditional and contemporary benches found around the world, Jeppe Hein’s Modified Social Benches emerged from long-term research on proxemics—the study of personal space—and the dynamics of distance in social interactions. These benches borrow their basic form from the familiar, ubiquitous park or garden bench but are altered in design to various degrees, transforming the simple act of sitting into a conscious, physical experience.The modifications challenge conventional ideas of spatial boundaries and provoke reflection on how much distance individuals tend to place between themselves and others. Rather than passively serving as seating, the benches become interactive elements that encourage exploration, experimentation, and play, while also fostering social interaction.Hein created his first Modified Social Bench in 2005 as a response to the growing disappearance of public seating in urban environments. Since then, the benches have taken on a variety of shapes, sizes, and vibrant colors, often tailored to the specific context of their location. Despite their visual and structural diversity, all pieces share a common trait: they subtly, yet playfully, highlight their own presence and subvert traditional expectations of functionality.

By reimagining the bench, Hein invites people to actively engage with public space—not just to sit, but to connect, communicate, and reconsider the boundaries of social behaviour.Unlike usual street lights, Hein’s Modified Street Lights consist of elongated, tilting, winding, rapidly rising or falling poles with wide arches, sharp bends or small loops, creating playfully interactive forms. With their modification, the street lights not only provide a guiding system and light in the dark, but also begin a dialogue with the spaces they inhabit thus promoting conversation between passers-by and viewers, lending the work to active characteristics and social qualities.