The Dialogic City : Berlin Wird Berlin

Berlinische Galerie, Berlin

Exposition et parution de l'ouvrage sous la direction de Brandlhuber, Hertweck, Mayfried

The exhibition « The Dialogic City : Berlin wird Berlin », planned by Brandlhuber+ Hertweck, Mayfried, reveals perspectives of dialogic behavior in the city in seven chapters ; the publication of the same name provides its central point of departure. Going beyond the rudiments of participation, possibilities for combining seemingly irreconcilable differences are sketched from various points of view. The first issue of Dialogic City is dedicated to Berlin, where these antagonisms are more extreme than elsewhere.

Following the subject matter of the chapters, seven comments will be installed in the large exhibition room of the Berlinische Galerie. The presentation will comprise about 500 models from the Berlinische Galerie's architectural collection; in its capacity as federal state museum for architecture, the gallery stores the documentation and models of Berlin building competitions. Due to a lack of funds and manpower, only a small part of the material has been inventoried so far. The exhibition addresses this problem by entering the models that are transported from the depot to the exhibition room into the museum database in the presence of visitors (until 8 November 2015, Fri to Mon 12 to 6 pm). An important part of museum work that is usually hidden from the public eye thus becomes visible. On the one hand, the models help to imagine an alternative Berlin, which may be reconstructed on the basis of the competition entries; on the other, they illustrate a history of ideas that continues also in its unimplemented form and which may be used as a source of inspiration for present-day debates about the city.

Two video works will be integrated into the exhibition: Heinz Emigholz's film Berliner Geschichten (Berlin Stories; 1986–2012) uses excerpts from various of his older works, whereas the new video Berlin Berlin (2010–2015) by Christian von Borries contextualises the topic of Community & Individuality.

During the main duration of the exhibition until 8 November 2015, Sunday dialogues will be held each week at 1 pm: various authors who contributed to the book and stakeholders in the city will initiate discussions and investigate the topic of Participation & Governance.

Both the exhibition and the publication are dedicated to the possibilities of dialogic behaviour in the city. How can we consolidate our cities further while at the same time incorporating more nature? How can we render city land once again available for communal interests without touching private property? How can we provide all people living in the city with more direct democracy without abolishing city policy? How can we achieve a positive, forward looking narrative of the city without levelling its history and inherent logic?

Applying the French philosopher Edgar Morin's principle of accepting contradictions and applying them towards productive interaction, the idea is to rethink Berlin as a city with its former history of separation. The aim is not to blend contradictory structures and approaches in a synthesis like it is the case in dialectic systems, but rather to maintain these and to recognise their specific characteristics.

Every visitor may take home a free copy of the publication upon request.

http://www.berlinischegalerie.de/en/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/