Bridging Art and Research: Exploring “Spatial Conflicts”

About a year ago, Janin Walter, an artist in residence at CRC 1265, was filming Zoé Perko, a researcher and PhD candidate in the project “The Borders of the World II,”for a session of a Schnittstellenfilm. As Zoé awkwardly explained her research in a way that everyone could understand—blinded by the glare of the studio lights—the two began talking about the material that had emerged from the project. Zoé had travelled to nine countries across three continents during her research stays, interviewing a wide range of policymakers and civil society representatives. The fieldwork was intense; most days, she was rushing from one interview to the next, trying to adapt to climates while processing everything she saw and heard during the day, leaving little time for anything else. Janin asked, “Do you have any visual material from your research trips?” Zoé scrolled through her phone, only to find a handful of images. These were mostly work-related snapshots taken through car windows en route to interview locations, along with a few photos of landmark sites in cities shaped by turbulent pasts, such as Buenos Aires (Argentina), Accra (Ghana), Dakar (Senegal), and Brussels (Belgium).

Zoé had long been committed to making academic research more accessible to a wider audience. Yet she was disappointed to realize, despite her extensive travels, she had hardly any visual material to show for it. “I’d actually love to find a way to connect research with visual media,” she told Janin. “Maybe something like planning an exhibition.” Janin, with her characteristic enthusiasm, responded without hesitation: “Well, let’s do it.” Slightly surprised and stunned by the idea that had just emerged out of nowhere, Zoé walked over to the CRC management office, peeked through the door, and asked a question that would end up shaping the trajectory of the months to come.

Fast forward one year, and both are welcoming about 150 people to the vernissage of Spatial Conflicts, a multimedia exhibition exploring the tensions that shape space. The exhibition was inspired by the CRC 1265’s concept of Re-Figuration, which challenges the notion of globalization as linear progress. Instead, it highlights the spatial dynamics of overlapping trends—not just of convergence and interconnection, but also of fragmentation and exclusion. In other words: yes, globalization, increasing mobility, digital technology, and urbanization may promise progress—but the flip side often reveals inequality, destruction, and regression.

The exhibition brought together 14 artists from diverse disciplines: ranging from performance and installation to photography and painting, each explored different topics from diverse perspectives.

For instance, what inner conflicts and shifts in identity arise in the context of fleeing and migration? How does the ecological pollution of outer space impact life here on Earth?
Is El Dorado a mythical land of gold—or a symbol of the violent appropriation of an entire continent? What conflicts arise when people move around the world to work in different cultures? How do people perceive themselves in places they find themselves in—by choice or by circumstance? What inner tensions emerge when individuals return to the spaces of their childhood and confront past and present selves? What relations come into being when spaces shaped by different social, cultural, or political logics are forced to coexist? How can bodies be understood as spaces of transformation and resistance?
And how can art amplify the voices of those who are excluded?

Through these artistic explorations, the exhibition set out to build a bridge between academic research and the art world—two spheres that too often remain disconnected.

The vernissage was a great success, certainly supported by the beautiful location and sunny weather we were lucky to enjoy. Over the course of the evening, the venue itself became a hot topic of conversation. The BHROX: the quiet, surprisingly acoustically pleasant island is settled within a roundabout, circled by (as is typical of Berlin) multiple lanes of traffic connecting major throughways. Surrounded by flowing fountains, shaded by vibrant trees, and housed in a glass pavilion, the BHROX felt like an oasis in a concrete desert—even in the midst of rush hour.

Once most of the guests had arrived, Janin and Zoé welcomed everyone with a few introductory words, followed by a warm and thoughtful speech from Prof. Dr. Martina Löw, director of the CRC 1265. Having just returned from Warsaw—a city deeply marked by its historical conflicts—she reflected on the contemporary relevance of spatial conflicts. She then circled back to the exhibition, emphasizing the unique power of artistic interpretations of scientific projects to translate emotional depth, something that is often lost in more conventional academic formats.

The stage was then set for a powerful performance by Éric Androa Mindre Kolo, which definitively shook up conceptions of a scientific context, one which tends to be more rigid. What followed was an evening full of conversation, exchange, tarot readings by Colombian artist Carlos Medellín—and drinks, which ended up selling out by the end of the night! The exhibition unfolded over the course of a week, drawing to a close with a finissage accompanied by a sound performance from producer LUZ1E—a resonant finale that gently sealed off a week of reflection, exchange, and art.

If you would like to learn more about the exhibition, the artists and their artwork, the booklet of the exhibition can be downloaded here.

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all the artists: for their contributions, creativity, and trust in the process, as well as to the CRC 1265 for making this exhibition possible. Special thanks go to Nina Elsemann, Nhung Dang, and Christopher Heidecke for their tireless support, for answering our many questions, and for helping us in countless ways. We are also deeply grateful to Martina Löw for her inspiring speech at the vernissage. Our sincere thanks goes to Simone Rueß and Ludovica Tomarchio for their design support, to Ignacio Castillo Ulloa for his work on the exhibition design, and to Sung Un Dang and Indrawan Prabaharyaka for their contributions to the conceptual development of the exhibition. Last but not least, we thank Peter and Ferry for welcoming us so warmly into their beautiful venue and for their generous support throughout the exhibition setup, as well as Arina, Alex, and Izel for their help while setting up.

Biographies:

Zoé Perko (zoe.perko@hu-berlin.de) is a researcher and PhD candidate at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, working in the project “The Borders of the World II” at the CRC 1265. Her dissertation focuses on conflicts surrounding freedom of movement in South America, West Africa, and Europe, as well as on the counter-practices of migrants. Throughout her academic journey, she has been deeply committed to making research more accessible to diverse audiences through science communication.

Janin Walter (ja.wa@berlin.de) is an artistic researcher and associate member of the CRC 1265 “Re-Figuration of Spaces” at Technische Universität Berlin. Her work explores the interrelations between urban space, architecture, and the human body through artistic and transdisciplinary methods. Her artistic research addresses topics such as migration, tourism, and spatial transformation. She has taught at TU Berlin and served as visiting professor at RISEBA University in Riga. Since 2018, she has contributed to the CRC 1265 and is committed to bridging academic and public discourse through exhibitions, films, and participatory formats. For more information: www.janinwalter.com