UP CLOSEArena
Freunde von Freunden

UP CLOSE

Shared Stories of Learning

G02 Friends SpaceBerlin-KreuzbergOct 8, 2026
A new live talk format by Freunde von Freunden
Recap · October 8, 2026

UP\CLOSE: an evening among friends.

For almost two decades, we’ve told the stories of people shaping culture. Last Thursday, we brought them to a live stage for the first time, and it felt like a gathering of friends and family.

Six people whose work we’ve long admired shared the encounters and lessons that shaped them. It was an open, honest and meaningful conversation, and one that will stay with us.

Supported byRuinart ↗Vöslauer ↗
Photos from the evening · 29
  1. A guest seated in an armchair by the window
  2. Two guests at the evening
  3. A guest laughing at the bar
  4. Guests in conversation
  5. Guests greeting each other on arrival
  6. Serving at the bar
  7. Guests mingling before the talks
  8. The audience during the talks
  9. A speaker presenting in front of the screen
  10. A talk seen from the darkened audience
  11. The audience seated beneath the chandelier
  12. A portrait on the screen, seen through the doorway
  13. A speaker seated beside the audience
  14. The stage and seating in the loft
  15. An embrace in the crowd
  16. Guests listening from the sofa
  17. Three guests laughing together
  18. A speaker being fitted with a microphone
  19. Guests by the blue curtain
  20. Two guests portrait
  21. A speaker gesturing on stage
  22. A speaker seated on a stool before the screen
  23. A speaker on stage at G02
  24. A conversation on the sofa beneath the screen
  25. The panel conversation on the sofa
  26. A guest at the evening
  27. The host seated at the table beside the stage
  28. Group on stage at UP CLOSE
  29. The group on stage in front of the UP CLOSE screen

UP CLOSE is a new live learning format by Freunde von Freunden, developed with curator Lukas Feireiss. Six remarkable people from different creative fields came together to share the experiences, encounters and lessons that shaped their lives and work. Through personal talks and an open conversation, UP CLOSE explores how we learn beyond the classroom from people, practice and life itself.

We believe the most meaningful learning happens between people, through shared stories, shared spaces, in encounters that matter.

“UP CLOSE is about how creative knowledge travels, through people, practice, and the spaces we make to meet.”
Lukas Feireiss, Curator
The contributors

Six Voices, Six Disciplines

In the fields of architecture, design, entrepreneurship, and music.

  • Serhat Işık

    Fashion Designer

    Building a fashion house from friendship and identity

    Co-founder of the Berlin label GmbH, known for collections that confront identity and migration.

    Serhat Işık on Instagram

  • Joy Denalane

    Musician

    Finding a voice between cultures

    One of Germany's defining soul voices, singing in German and English since the early 2000s.

    Joy Denalane on Instagram

  • Sam Chermayeff

    Architect

    Rethinking how we live together

    Runs his own studio in Berlin after years at SANAA in Tokyo, working on housing that resists the standard floor plan.

    Sam Chermayeff on Instagram

  • Wana Limar

    Cultural Producer

    Advocating for social and racial equality while entertaining and educating

    Co-founder of the ethically conscious brand SEVAR.

    Wana Limar on Instagram

  • Thomias Radin

    Artist

    Using art as a spiritual and social practice

    A multidisciplinary artist working across painting, performance, and furniture design, exhibiting at institutions including Esther Schipper.

    Thomias Radin on Instagram

  • Lisa Jaspers

    Entrepreneur & Activist

    Turning values into business

    Founder of Folkdays, working directly with artisan partners worldwide on a fairer supply chain.

    Lisa Jaspers on Instagram
The evening

Program

  1. 18:00
    Doors
  2. 18:30
    Welcome & IntroductionTimmi Seifert & Lukas Feireiss
  3. 18:40
    Lisa JaspersEntrepreneur and Author
  4. 19:00
    Wana LimarCultural Producer
  5. 19:20
    Thomias RadinArtist
  6. 19:40
    Break
  7. 20:00
    Sam ChermayeffArchitect
  8. 20:20
    Serhat IşıkFashion Designer
  9. 20:40
    Joy DenalaneMusician
  10. 21:00
    Panel ConversationSam Chermayeff, Joy Denalane, Serhat Işık, Lisa Jaspers, Wana Limar & Thomias Radin, moderated by Lukas Feireiss
150Guests
6Speakers
1Open conversation

Thursday, October 8, 2026

6:00–10:00 PM · G02 Friends Space, Berlin-Kreuzberg

One culture of learning.

Dinner

A carefully curated, intimate conversation format for twelve selected creatives, focusing on personal perspectives and stories.

Arena

A dynamic public format for up to 150 guests, where six creative voices share their insights and a moderated conversation opens the exchange between the stage and the audience.

Masterclasses

In-depth live and digital learning formats that emerge from these encounters, making practical knowledge from creative practitioners accessible over time.

Past gatherings

Fifteen years of dinners, studio visits and conversations: the community UP CLOSE brings into one room.

Long dinner table set in the Friends Space
The venue

G02: modular loft for ideas, productions, and gatherings in Kreuzberg

Located in the creative core of Berlin-Kreuzberg, G02 is a modular, design-forward loft conceived and run by Freunde von Freunden. Designed in collaboration with architect Philipp Mainzer, the 350 sqm space merges contemporary architecture with multifunctional interiors.

G02, kitchen and communal table
G02, window seat in afternoon light
G02, long table with projector
  • 350 sqm
  • Glogauer Str. 2, Berlin-Kreuzberg
  • Up to 150 guests
Freunde von Freunden

One of the leading global creative platforms for over 15 years: intimate portraits of the architects, artists, designers, musicians and chefs shaping contemporary culture. We believe in inspiration from human to human.

Lukas Feireiss

Lukas Feireiss is a Berlin-based curator, coach, and educator working across art, science, and holistic inquiry. He curates exhibitions, edits publications, and teaches internationally, while supporting creative and professional transformation through his coaching practice Cura Vision.

UP CLOSE

Until next time.

Freunde von Freunden × Lukas Feireiss

In partnership with Ruinart · Vöslauer