In the Zentrum Kreuzberg at Kottbusser Tor is the Kotti Shop, an arts and project space that is closely tied to the neighbourhood, and where being together and artistic projects play a large role. In all its activities the Kotti-Shop focuses on the role of art in social processes. Julia Brunner and Stefan Endewardt, the artistic directors of the Kotti Shop, continually work together with the art factory SuperFuture to build a bridge between neighbourhoods in other cities and the art and project spaces there.
In preparation for “Detroit-Berlin: One Circle” they (sponsored by the Goethe Insitut and HAU Hebbel am Ufer) will travel to Detroit to do a residency at FILTER Project. Brunner and Endewardt will reflect shared learning on site with Halima Cassells, who is active in initiatives such as Oakland Avenue Artists Coalition, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network und Free Market of Detroit. Her artistic practice is an exploration of value, and community power. In the process, Cassells will develop video segments for “TRANSPHÄRE”. With this installation Julia Brunner and Stefan Endewardt will create a site for being together on the lawn in front of HAU2, which will be both stage as well as display. The different urban spaces, concretely the surroundings of HAU and Kottbusser Tor, will overlap, physically and interactively, with neighbourhood spaces in Detroit. “TRANSPHÄRE” will thus highlight the social dimensions of artistic works in and with neighbourhood structures.