The Berlin rave scene demonstrates how culture can open up spaces. It shuns tedious planning and strict regulations, relying instead on a pioneering spirit—in building ruins, on vacant lots, and in abandoned industrial sites. In their bachelor’s thesis “The Illegal Spatial Practices of Berlin’s Rave Culture,” Charlotte Emmler, Julia Sohl, and Gregor Bläsi demonstrate how a spontaneous, collectively organized culture breathes new life into abandoned places through improvisation. The project traces the architecturally creative process of a scene that independently explores how existing spaces in a city can be utilized. 

Nicole Kreckel approaches the question of how culture brings people together from a different perspective. In her work with the Museum of Contemporary Art, she examines how art education can create spaces for exchange. Museums provide the framework—they come alive where encounters take place and different perspectives converge. How “care” and “participation” can contribute to the desire for open spaces is central to her research and practice—we look forward to an exciting discussion!