#finearts #urbanspace
Art and Train explores utopia through disused railway spaces like interlocking towers, combining train travel and exhibition-making. Participants transform their journeys into art for U-Bahn stations in Berlin.
Art and Train is an immersive, interdisciplinary workshop that explores the intersection of art, public transport, and the concept of utopia. Participants engage with disused railway spaces, such as former interlocking towers and control posts, reimagining these transitional sites as points of connection between heterotopias (Foucault) and utopias (Moore). Through theoretical insights and hands-on practices, the course bridges artistic creation and critical urban studies.
The workshop incorporates readings like Wolfgang Schivelbusch’s The Railway Journey to examine the transformative power of railways in shaping human perception and mobility. Participants will also gain exclusive access to railway spaces through collaborations with Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Berlin's subway organization BVG, conducting field research and interacting with railway employees to understand these locations' historical and social significance.
Participants will document their findings and creative responses through mediums such as photography, text, video, or installation etc., while meeting other creators working in the railway context. Participants learn to integrate art into public transport contexts.
The workshop culminates in a collaborative public exhibition at subway stations in Berlin, showcasing our art to a diverse audience and offering valuable portfolio-building opportunities. With an 8-day structure, the course balances theory, fieldwork, and creative production. Open to students and young professionals from various disciplines, the workshop invites participants to rethink the role of railways in urban life.
Prior application requirements
Everyone is welcome to apply! The class is open to individuals from a wide range of fields and with varying levels of prior experience. Students from disciplines such as fine arts, architecture, engineering, literature, music, and beyond, as well as young professionals from diverse sectors, are encouraged to apply.
Knowledge requirements
No specific former knowledge is required.
Equipment requirements
Every participant will work in a medium of their choice (e.g., photography, video, sound, text), in which they already have experience and for which they will bring the necessary equipment (such as a camera). Everyone should bring their computer with.
Natalia Irina Roman
City researcher, artist, and curator, Natalia has been teaching art classes in the railway context since 2017, at the Bauhaus University Weimar and at Berlin University of Arts. She brings a diverse background in fine arts and public policy to her work, as a graduate and researcher of Bard College Berlin, Hertie School of Governance and Bauhaus University Weimar. Her artworks, in mediums such as installation, concept art, video, photography, text, and participatory art, have been showcased in solo and group exhibitions across Germany and abroad, and recently in New York City. With experience at institutions including Berliner Festspiele, Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin International Film Festival Berlinale, and the Hertie Foundation, Natalia has contributed significantly to the cultural landscape. As a jury member for the Draussenstadt Call for Action competition for public art in Berlin, she facilitated the distribution of over 1 Million Euro to independent projects in 2021, in 2022 and in 2023. Natalia has been working as an artist and curator in a self-initiated art cooperation with Deutsche Bahn since 2017, including the initiative "Along the Lines," which transforms disused interlocking towers into art spaces for train passengers. Supported by funding from Hauptstadtkulturfonds, this initiative has led to exhibitions, public discussions, and railway classes. Recently, Natalia served as a Fulbright Fellow and Visiting Artist at Columbia University in New York City in 2024, where she focused on exhibitions and lectures exploring the railway context and realize a project of art in public space for train passengers.