Graffiti and street art in Neukölln
Urban space is full of signs – some are absolutely clear and unmistakable, others more cryptic. This exhibition focuses on graffiti and street art in Neukölln and is intended as an invitation to more consciously perceive and better understand these forms of expression in the urban space.
Instead of an art-historical classification, the museum chose a more ethnographic approach:
- How does the city communicate with itself?
- Who is writing for whom here?
Graffiti and street art are visually omnipresent – but the meaning of the signs and images is often only accessible to those in the know. In this sense, this exhibition offers a tool for deciphering these visual codes.
At the heart of this exhibition is a documentary approach: hundreds of photographs from Neukölln's urban space form the visual basis of this exhibition. With the help of three large-scale projections, the museum brings a bit of the urban space into the museum; explanatory commentaries complement the presentation.
In addition, seven interviews with artists and crews offer very personal insights into the motivations, techniques, and attitudes behind the images – supported by very personal objects from their everyday lives. Very sensitive portraits touch on the threshold between the necessary anonymity and intimacy.
The exhibition is framed by a surrounding gallery hanging featuring works by the three photo artists Jürgen Hohmuth, Maximilian Meisse, and Tanja Schnitzler.
The MUSEUM in DIALOGUE format offers curated walks through Neukölln, guided tours led by the curatorial team, and discussions on the subject.
SIGNS.LANGUAGES.URBAN SPACES is not an exhibition for or against graffiti, but rather an attempt to make the often overlooked visible and legible. For the walls of buildings, electrical boxes, and bridge piers reflect more of the urban present than one might assume at first glance.
