A lot has been said about the oak tree. Imperial oak, lonely, German, resistant. It is silent about it. It was planted after the opening of the National Kaiser Wilhelm Monument in 1897. And it still stands there.

In more than 60 archives, libraries and collections, the artist Thomas Neumann, as a visual archaeologist, traces this tree in Berlin photography of the 20th century. As a supporting actor in the photos of events around the political center of Berlin, the oak tree is now introduced as the main character in the artistic project. Despite its various roles, urban appearances and planning visions, it has managed to retain its main role as a living being for 130 years.

In direct visual contact with the tree, Thomas Neumann lets the Red Hall light up with a cinematic flow of photographs, videos and interviews. You are cordially invited to linger on the grounds of the Bauakademie in the evening hours and to enter into dialogue with the oak tree and its stories.