learning from kotti

what: mobile exhibition
where: berlin, germany
when: 2022/23

“learning from kotti” seeks to artistically negotiate the complexity and multi-layeredness of the kottbusser tor as a space for reflection. based on an aerial photograph, displayed in the rear track area of the subway U1, viewers are invited to explore the digital work on their mobile devices via a qr code. at the station and in the subway, cell phones are a constant companion for most people today.

the work consists of 80 individual contributions arranged in a grid (digital tiles/website) that communicate diverse perspectives, access points, and information about the kottbusser tor as a reflective offering. for the content of the individual tiles, we draw from the extensive pool of the initiative kotti & co, the association kotti-coop, and the design studio image-shift.

the individual messages include photos, graphics, quotes from residents, tradespeople, and visitors, as well as infographics on rental situations, social housing, everyday stories, challenges, success stories, and more. together, these contributions present a complex and multi-layered picture of the kottbusser tor and its superdiverse social fabric. this work explicitly positions itself as a counter- and polyphonic narrative to the often reductive media portrayal of the kottbusser tor as merely a problematic urban space.

visit the web exhibit on your mobile device (QR code)

> the project was part of “art in the underground 2022/23: new urban publics” at the ngbk / berlin