Projects

Seeing Berlin Anew

Location

Berlin, Germany

Synopsis and Position

‘Seeing Berlin Anew’ is a project that aims to document the experience and perspective of Berlin newcomers (migrants and refugees) by creatively documenting daily activities and social-cultural interactions and settings: conflict and coexistence; inclusion; belonging; and the rhetoric of identity and security. The primary output of the project is a quality publication that explores Berlin at different scales – from the house to the neighbourhood and to the city – presenting a collection of drawings and creative writings informed by the newcomers’ view – with chapters in which newcomers will share the personal experiences of seeing Berlin as a new home and to seeing their old cities through the prism of Berlin with their sense of belonging.

Objectives and Methods

The project aims at supporting archival practice for migrant and refugee stakeholders in Berlin, by presenting lived experience in an engaging publication using illustration and storytelling. The project will be a resource to promote dialogue across stakeholders, both newcomers and existing residents.

The methodology of the project is creative and informed; examining the city through the eyes and voice of the ‘newcomers’; using reflection gathered through interviews and personal testimony, digital journaling and reflective city-walking. Photography will be used extensively to capture place and space, and this will be versioned into illustrations focusing in on detail such as food and decoration in the urban space. The publication will have chapters areas of experience and contestation – these include Mobility, Architecture of Displacement, Papers of Displacement, Livelihoods, Housing Styles and Culture.

Workshops and Events

To be confirmed

Activities

    • Planning and Research
    • Content Development
    • Presentation and Exchange

Berlin, Germany