DA SIND WIR* Public Women

»spaces are not exterior to bodies; instead, spaces are like a second skin that unfolds in the folds of the body.« Sara Ahmed

In historical city centres, it becomes evident that women were not given equal rights in public spaces. As part of the LOCALIZE Festival »Center Shock«, we set a focus on this topic and created an installation, participatory workshops and a walk to explore this in the urban space of Potsdam.

By adjusting the blinds, the installation creates a space in which quotations and the environment relate to each other and invite the viewer to look and reflect. The workshops invited the participants to deal with their own position as a woman in the center, also from a historical perspective. In a collaborative artistic process, a temporary appropriation of public spaces was created. Through a walk with QR-Codes which are placed through the center of Potsdam, visitors gain insights into the workshops and the topic. Each QR-Code showed video- or audio-clips and allowed everyone to follow the traces of »DA SIND WIR* – Public women« with their own smartphone or online.

The project was developed in cooperation with Sarah Drain and as part of the LOCALIZE Festival »Center Shock«. Many thanks to all participants* for the inspiring Potsdam explorations.

Category
urban
participatory
scenography

Team
Jana Beckmann, Sarah Drain, Janna Nikoleit

Associated services
concept
design
realisation
of workshops, installation and audio-walk

Jahr
2020

Realisation period
17.9. – 17.10.2020

Location
Potsdam

Cooperation
LOCALIZE Festival für Stadt, Kunst und Kultur in pandemischen Zeiten

Photo credits
flex
Sarah Drain
sevens[+]maltry, LOCALIZE Festival 2020

Quote
Ahmed, Sara. Queer Phemenology. Orientations, Objects and Others. Durham & London: Duke University Press, 2006