| Welcome to Berlin, welcome to Späti! If a Späti could talk, what stories would it tell? Perhaps the story of the lonely person who is just looking for a quick chat with the shop assistant; or the mother who comes to Berlin with her child to find a new home here; or the story of the young people who quickly buy a Wegbier…? As a low-threshold place, the Berlin Späti is a phenomenon that is unrivalled worldwide. It’s a place where people meet who, at least in the physical world, don’t meet anywhere else. Unlike in a bar, café or restaurant, Späti has prices that everyone can afford. Unlike a supermarket, a Späti gives you the opportunity to linger and consume the products you buy on the spot. Unlike in a club, there is no admission fee at Späti. The Späti is therefore one of the few democratic places in the anonymous big city, a public forum in which thoughts are exchanged and very different stories of our coexistence emerge. |
It is an ongoing project in which I collect stories that take place in different local Spätis around the city. Some of them are observational drawings, while others are portratures of the Späti Owners. I chose the classic medium of portrait as a way to give back and say – thank you – to the people, who, in my humble opinion, are holding the community together via this communal living rooms, and to remind us that behind each counter is there might often be a story of the family owned-business, immigration stories and much more.
Meet Hakan. The owner of the Späti at Zossener Str. Below, you can hear a short snippet of my interview with him where he shares about his first Späti. During the exhibition this audio file can be accessed via a QR-Code, allowing the viewer to connect the image with the voice.
Listen here:
In 2024 I presented my work along with the photographer Meno Aden in the frame of the 48 Hours Neukölln Festival. Just like drinks, the art was dilivered in a white van that was parked at Reuterplatz.
During the show visitors were invited to express their feelings about Späti, here is what they said (above)
Additionally, that Art Späti became a space for the spontaneous afternoon reading by Laragh Conroy and Vasylysa Shchogoleva. (below)
As an artist, I believe, Späti holds an enourmous power of human connection and innovation, as the more I speak about it with fellow creators, the more stories I hear. Here is one, written by Sarah.