Irritationen des Alltags

Mehringplatz is currently experiencing its first Berlin summer after 12 years of long-term construction. Nevertheless, it is still a forgotten public space in Kreuzberg. How can the power to act and shape public space be ignited?

The square is shaped and rewritten every day by the daily actions of the neighbourhood and its residents. Together with them, we explored ways in which the use of public spaces can help to create one’s own living and working environment and define it as a negotiating space for urban societies.

Irritation 01 / Café Madame

As waiters of the social centre, Café MaDaMe, we join the regulars. The seemingly spontaneous, performative intervention changes the local neighbourhoods’ perception of their everyday living space. Residents become the audience and are part of the production at the same time. The attention sparked by the role reversal leads to conversations, shared observations and new questions.

Mehringplatz is the everyday life of over 2400 residents who use the public square as a natural extension of their living space. Using performative interventions, we want to question which bodies, actions and needs the new space fulfils.

Irritation 02 / KMA

The “SC Fighters” public training session in Theodor Wolff Park is transformed into a boxing arena with mobile mats. Stands, flooring and merchandise as well as personalised fight cards turn the rehearsal into an event where passers-by become visitors and young people become professional boxers. Mehringplatz is repurposed using just a few elements and the public space is appropriated as an arena and venue.

Different people and groups live and work together in a confined space on Mehringplatz. Different age groups, cultures and interests come together in the public space.

Irritation 03 / Al Sultan

A sewing and sound station was set up under an aerial floor. Nazar eyes are sewn together with Najwa Koussa’s sewing course. The sounds of the sewing machines will also become part of a sound collage created together with musicians from the KMA. Pedestrrians are invited to listen and participate and become part of the Mehringplatz sound collage with their own texts, sounds and thoughts.

RAR – Revolutionary Residents Council

In the last action in August 2023, the Revolutionäre Anwohner*innen Rat – RAR for short – was founded on Mehringplatz. During the action, neighbours install banners on building facades and balconies in the Mehring district, resulting in an exhibition in public space.

DIS/ENCOUNTER

The Revolutionary Residents‘ Council has developed into a sustainable neighbourhood network. It also promotes community-based solutions, such as the installation of a mobile DIS/ENCOUNTER at the local weekly market, which serves as a meeting place for the community and highlights the need for local supply.

Through these actions, Mehringplatz is becoming a living example of how a committed community can enrich and transform public space through creative solutions and active involvement. The aim is to raise awareness, encourage citizen engagement and bring about long-term positive change in our society.

DIS/ENCOUNTER is not only a symbol of self-organisation and solidarity, but also a call to those in positions of responsibility to support social housing and ensure basic services for the community.

„…From the initial phase of getting to know each other to organizing the neighborhood, you demonstrate how artistic research and civic engagement can truly make a difference. Your DIS/ENCOUNTER initiative at the weekly market is the perfect example of how self-organization and solidarity can shed light on local challenges. You haven’t just pointed out problems, but also directly shown solutions. You are a role model for sustainable community development and show how to create a livable, inclusive urban space…“ (Mohamed ZakZak, Jury Hans Sauer Prize 2024)

Hans Sauer Prize 2024 SHAPING THE FUTURE TOGETHER – Participatory Processes for a Social-Ecological Transformation