Berlin Art Link Explores Play as Artistic Method

Berlin Art Link's exploration of 'Play' delves into the ways artists and curators utilize games, playfulness, and absurdity as instruments for political change. The upcoming 2024 exhibition 'Radical Playgrounds' at Gropius Bau employs playground terminology to highlight themes of inclusion and exclusion. Visitors can interact with Erwin Wurm's playful sculptures, while Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley addresses political themes through video games. The 'Black Power Naps' project by Navild Acosta and Fannie Sosa advocates for 'rebellious leisure' as a response to racialized capitalism. An interview with Berlin's Kasia Fudakowski reveals her approach to reinterpreting everyday norms through absurdity. Lars Holdgate critiques Umut Azad Akkel's 'Holding My Drink in the Corner' at Haus am Lützowplatz, emphasizing 'The Path' sculpture as a symbol of migration and queerness. Additionally, Olivia Noss chats with American ventriloquist Sophie Becker, who showcased her dummy Ronnie at Haus am Waldsee. Juan José Santos Mateo discusses Peruvian artist Andrea Canepa's playful exhibitions, referencing her 2017 'Margen de juego' at Galería Rosa Santos, which reimagined the gallery as a game board inspired by Montessori, Pestalozzi, and Rudolf Laban. The topic reflects on play as a creative approach, valuing absurdity, enjoyment, and collaborative problem-solving over strict results.