Programme around Berlin Alexanderplatz
For WHOM is Alexanderplatz sounding? was a two week long artistic research in public space, a critical evaluation of our sonic ambiance touching upon the right to the city and the ethics and politics of everyday sounds. A practice of walking as meeting and walking as being in the world was introduced on and around Alexanderplatz.
Aim was to question the affordances of the actual outdoor surroundings for human and more than human beings. This questioning was done together with invited artists and friends of Soundtrackcity in Berlin who each have a personal or professional relation with the area. The question we started from was: “how do sonic sensorial qualities of urban spaces play into (in)justice, (in)equality and power relations in public space, in particular around Alexanderplatz.”
While walking we listened and asked:
Who is living here?
What do they need?
How do they feel when outside?
And who designs these streets? Do they ever come here?
Do they walk?
Whom is this place for?
What can you do here and what can you NOT do here?
How does the sound you hear include some and exclude others?
Programme
We organised two talks in Liebig12 with a select group of artists, architects and other professionals working in urban studies and two public sound walks around Alexanderplatz.
Full moon walk 17 October 2024
Sunday morning walk 20 October 2024
Apart from the talks and sound walks we organised a workshop to generate and test new ideas and methods for planners, urbanists and architects to incorporate sonic sensorial qualities of urban spaces into their designs, in particular for Alexanderplatz and surrounding areas.
Building upon the results of the 2021 Sonic Aggregator project, this project aims to examine the opportunities for a larger urban sound design project in Berlin in the future.
The programme was supported by Liebig12 and Co-Making Matters.