Interfacing, Relational Mapping and Storytelling

with the river communities of the Spree
from April to June 2024

Exhibition

4.7. - 5.30-8 p.m. | Admission: 4 p.m.

5.7. - 5:30-10 p.m.| Admission: 4 p.m.

Panel

5.7. - 5.30-7 p.m. | Admission:  4 p.m.

Afterparty
5.7.  - 8-10 p.m.
Nodes (Hydrophonic ambient / pesss)
Loufo (Downtempo / PaarPaletten/ Visionskultur)

 Location: Spreepark Art Space
@Flamingos
Kiehnwerder Allee 2
12437 Berlin 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/XALhjenzvCxa4jvy9?g_st=im

4-5 July - Exhibition

Interfacing, Relational Mapping and Storytelling with the Spree River Communities

The river that gives the Spreepark its name has characterised the city's vibrant culture for centuries. Berlin is built from the river. The Spree has always had a strong influence on the development of the city's neighbourhoods and their ecologies. The river landscapes are a vital commons in which social, economic, political, technical and cultural interests are interwoven: a 'flowing library' that connects the knowledge of the past and present with the visions of the future.

Who is the river? How could we get in touch with the river and its non-human actors in an experimental, non-verbal, playful, sensual and interactive way?

Through research, experimental field studies with their own observation instruments and in performative scenarios, design students at University of Applied Sciences Potsdam investigated new perspectives on the river and its communities. Ten projects tell how river animal hearts beat faster due to environmental stress, how flying seeds are spread along the river by updrafts, how our own senses feel the river atmospheres, how people communicate with water spirits through waves, what pictures the river itself draws, with what voices the reeds and the Spree become audible, how eternally persistent chemicals connect us with the river and how the Spree itself looks back at us humans.

A project of Myriel Milićević und Yin Boribun mit Marlene Derwort, Paulina Deutmeyer, Julian Flörchinger, Benjamin Friese, Anna Gasviani, Kaixin Jin, Merle Kauf, Max Kramer, Anja Linke, Jolina Mumbela, Juliane Müller, Alexander Münch, Lisa-Marie Pfadt, Niklas Schmidt, Julian Scott, Shiming Shen, Ragnar Wilczek – in collaboration with Susa Pop |Public Art Lab as part of the Future DiverCities project and the Spreepark Art Space’s team.
 

05 July - Panel

The rights of the river as an ecosystem and legal entity

How can a river be defined as a legal entity? The global 'Nature Rights' movement is working to rethink nature as a legal space and to engage for legal rights for ecosystems. Local and international experts will present different perspectives on this topic.

In a panel, Christian Wolter / Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Judith Möllhoff / FU Berlin, Department of Politics and Law, Michaela Vieser, author for Nature Writing and Felipe Duarte, musician and storyteller of indigenous knowledge, will discuss the different perspectives of 'The Rights of the River as Ecosystem and Legal Entity', moderated by Ela Kagel (Platform Cooperatives Germany eG)
 

Thanks for Support

The exhibition and the panel are sponsored by the Europa Möbel-Verbund and the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. The project is part of the EU-fundedFuture DiverCities which is investigating the regeneration of vacant urban spaces in nine European cities through the means of art and culture. For Berlin, Public Art Lab has developed the action research programme together with Spreepark Art Space and the Potsdam University of Applied Sciences / Department of Design.

Herbert Lohner, BUND Berlin
JB Labrune, MIT Media Lab
Julia von Thienen, HPI
Pauline Münch, AnthropoScenes – Making Sustainable Water Futures Public IRI THESys, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Martin Schütz, Campus Stadt Natur – Environmental Education  Spreepark
Christian Wolter, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries

Graphics: Marlene Derwort und Merle Kauf

Follow der Fluss: https://www.instagram.com/der.fluss.fhp

https://future-divercities.eu/

https://www.publicartlab-berlin.de/projects/future-divercities/

https://www.fh-potsdam.de/studium-weiterbildung/fachbereiche/fachbereich-design