18 November, 2025 | Lisa Benjes
Petr Hošek is the founder of Hošek Contemporary, a gallery and performance space located on the historic ship MS Heimatland at Märkisches Ufer. Since its founding in 2016, it has become an important venue for experimental music, performance, and site-specific art. Now, as the harbour plans to sell the boat, Petr Hošek is searching for ways to keep the art and music space alive.
Lisa Benjes: In the past, there were more pleasant occasions to visit you on your boat: concerts, exhibitions, and meeting nice people. Today, we are here to talk about the fact that the boat is going to be sold. How did it come to this?
Petr Hošek: We’ve been renting the ship from the harbour for the past eight years. At the moment, however, there are two issues that make the future of the boat uncertain: The first concerns the berth for the boat, that is owned by the Historic Port of Berlin. They manage several boats in the area, including the one next to us, the »Hans Wilhelm«. That ship is currently being renovated into a museum, and once it’s done, it will need to be moved directly along the shore to ensure barrier-free access – right to the spot where our boat is currently moored. In addition, there are several construction sites taking place nearby. The port authorities are now trying to determine how to position all the ships the best. Our boat is with its almost 60 metres by far the longest in the harbour. Most of the other ships are only 30 to 40 metres long. Unfortunately, that means our ship simply doesn’t fit well within the area. In order not to deal with this, the harbour decided to sell it.
So, does that mean it will be your final season at Märkisches Ufer?
That’s what I’ve been told, but knowing the harbor, things here are very dynamic. For the past seven years, we’ve been told that our current location was only temporary – and yet, we’re still here. At the moment, it looks like we’ll have to leave by the end of 2025. Whether that will actually happen, however, remains uncertain. One thing is clear: sooner or later, we will need to find a new place, somewhere we can continue our work without the constant uncertainty of whether we’ll have a home.
What is your plan to keep the space alive?
First, I need to find an alternative location for the boat. I am now focusing on securing a place for the winter, when we are closed anyway. At this stage, the exact location is still secondary. This could be in Brandenburg or somewhere along the Upper Havel. For the season from March to November, we then need a location that is easily accessible by public transport and ideally within the Berlin Ring.
To find a permanent spot, we are in contact with several potential partners, including the Radialsystem and a new development project called Museumshafen. The Radialsystem would be particularly suitable, as we both focus on cultural activities. However, the length of our boat presents a challenge here. The Museumshafen is a project by investors, architects, and boat owners who want to create a museum harbor in the area next to the Arena and the Flutgraben. The project is still in the planning phase.
In order to move the boat an to continue our activities, we would like to buy it. So alongside finding a suitable location, we are also actively working on fundraising and securing sponsors.
Speaking of money: How are you counting on raising so much money in the next weeks?
The harbor initially suggested selling it for € 120,000. But selling such a ship without a secured mooring makes that price unrealistic. So, I‘d make a distinction between the ship’s real value and its asking price. What’s the true value of a ship like this? That’s a difficult question to answer. I think their main goal is simply to have the ship removed from the harbour. Whoever can manage that will be able to buy it. In that sense, they the actual price might be rather flexible. Once I find an alternative mooring, I can make a new offer.
The funds we are raising through our crowdfunding campaign are based on the harbour’s asking price, which was € 120,000 at the end of August. I do not expect to raise the full amount through the campaign, but I’m incredibly grateful for our strong community. It’s a great start.
If we reach an agreement with the harbour, let’s say around € 80.000, I might raise 10–15% through crowdfunding. From there, I see two possible paths: First, buying the boat with a partner. We are in contact with a Portuguese art association we’ve collaborated with since 2019. The second option would be to use the donations, bring in a partner, and take out a small loan.
If you were to purchase the boat and find a new berth, what artistic program can we expect in the coming season?
Until now, we have three main focusses: experimental music, exhibitions, and residencies. In our music flagship, the series Improvised & Experimental, that takes place every Wednesday with usually two sets, we try to give space to the improvisation and echtzeitmusik scene in Berlin. For residencies we have two apartments here, so artists can come from abroad and live here while working and doing their projects.
If everything works out, we‘ll just continue with our work. We already have three exhibition projects planned for next year and already a lot of unofficial applications for Improvised & Experimental series,
A boat offers very different spatial and acoustic conditions compared to a traditional gallery or concert hall. How do your projects respond to them?
We try to work with the space, which is very unique and theatrical. The boat has a long history and interesting acoustics. When selecting art projects, the topic of the boat or the sea is not necessarily our first choice. However, we’re mostly doing site specific projects that are working with the space. For example, the winners of this year’s Hošek Contemporary Prize were Marque-Lin & xindi, who created a project on the decolonization of rubber. Rubber was historically exploited from nature, devastating Vietnam and Southeast Asia, and costing countless lives during colonial extraction. The boat played a role in transporting rubber, so projects like this, connected to the boat in non-obvious ways, also fit into our programme.
How did you come to establish an art space in Berlin?
After completing my master’s degree in Art History and Theory in Prague, I didn’t want to continue working in archives or on protecting the listed monuments. I didn’t see many other opportunities there. After a curatorial residency in New York, I decided in 2014 to move to Berlin. At that time, my neighbour, an architect, was looking for a workspace where he could also pursue artistic projects. He came across this boat, and we decided to share the rent. I set up my gallery on one half, while he planned to use the other as a studio. When he had to step back, I eventually took over the entire boat and used the freed-up space as a stage and for artist residencies.
An important question at the end: What can Berliners do to support you?
The most important thing is to spread the word. Tell your friends, your family, your roommates, your party buddies, people from other venues: the more people know about it, the more ideas come together. And of course, you can also support us through our crowdfunding campaign. If many people contribute small amounts, it can work. A friend once said that if everyone who has ever performed or created an art project here sent 20 euros, we’d already have more than enough. Of course, we would be happiest if we could find a major supporter in Berlin who is willing to contribute a larger amount to support the arts and music scene.
And someone with a Liegeplatz should also call.
Yes, please! (laughs)
https://www.gofundme.com/f/savetheboat-keephosekcontemporaryafloat