A young German artist who divides her time between New York City and Berlin has brought a splash of Manhattan's underground art scene to eastern Germany, creating a stunning graffiti mural at Siemens Energy's Innovation Campus in Görlitz. Lea Haubold, originally from Saxony, completed the colorful turbine-themed artwork in just two days, transforming the Marie Curie room into a vibrant learning space.

The impressive mural features a steam turbine as its centerpiece, surrounded by colorful ribbons in the corporate colors of Siemens Energy that wind their way through the educational facility. The turbine depicted in the artwork mirrors those actually manufactured at the Görlitz location, creating a meaningful connection between art and industry. "It's a turbine like the ones we manufacture here at our Görlitz site. We definitely think it's pretty cool," said Lonni Starke, an employee of an agency commissioned by Siemens Energy, while showcasing the finished work in a promotional video.

Siemens Energy had issued a public call for artists to beautify their campus with graffiti artwork, and Haubold was selected from among the applicants. The artist, who is a member of the Dresden-based art collective re.con, regularly showcases her work on her Instagram account @h_kubed_. Her artistic philosophy reflects the spontaneous nature of street art: "My art almost always emerges from an impulse and is, for me, an expression of unspoken things between thoughts and reality," Haubold explained.

Haubold's journey to this commission began with her graphic design studies in Dresden, which she completed in 2022. Since then, she has expanded her artistic repertoire to include wall murals, graffiti workshops, and commissioned works for artistic events in both Germany and New York. After graduation, she spent six months in New York studying English, and now splits her time between the American metropolis and Berlin, immersing herself in different artistic cultures.

In the United States, Haubold has become an active participant in underground art events, particularly at venues like the Sour Mouse bar in Manhattan. This exposure to New York's street art scene has influenced her work and brought an authentic taste of American urban culture to her German projects. Her involvement in such events has become an integral part of her daily life, connecting her to a global community of street artists and urban creators.

The Innovation Campus where Haubold's mural now resides serves as a collaborative platform between Siemens Energy and the Fraunhofer Society, Germany's leading organization for applied research. The facility is dedicated to developing new ideas and products that move away from fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, thereby advancing Germany's structural transformation toward renewable energy. A branch campus of Dresden University of Technology at the Görlitz location forms an important component of this initiative, while several companies have already established themselves there to drive developments and prepare for spin-off ventures.

Interestingly, Haubold's academic background directly relates to the intersection of art and commerce that her current work represents. In her bachelor's thesis, she explored the provocative question "Is this art or is this advertising?" – a question that students and visitors can now contemplate while viewing her vibrant steam turbine mural in the Innovation Campus. This philosophical inquiry becomes particularly relevant as corporate spaces increasingly embrace street art as a means of cultural expression and environmental enhancement.

The project represents a broader trend of corporations recognizing the value of street art and graffiti in creating inspiring work environments. By commissioning authentic street artists rather than traditional commercial artists, Siemens Energy has brought genuine urban culture into their high-tech facility, creating a unique fusion of industrial innovation and artistic expression that reflects the company's forward-thinking approach to both technology and workplace culture.