How close are we to living in a dystopian world? A group of internationally acclaimed visual artists and musicians pose and answer this very question during Atonal’s multi-part concert series and exhibition Metabolic Rift. In place of the usual August festival, Atonal is returning to the iconic Kraftwerk complex with an invitation for the public to immerse themselves in a series of over 20 site-specific works hidden throughout the haunting structure. As part of the exhibition, attendees will be the first to set foot inside the eerie, shuttered club spaces since their Covid-induced closure. Hidden basement rooms never before accessible to the general public host multi-channel sounds that echo among kinetic sculptures, futuristic cityscapes and floor-to-ceiling multi-sensory works.
Between the building’s passages, projections of stop-motion psychedelic imagery flash like hallucinations, guiding you on a disoriented journey into transient works that appear and disappear just as quickly. You are left with lingering and unsettling questions about our existence. In addition to the interdisciplinary works on show, world-premiere A/V performances and site-specific works will take place in the form of ticketed concerts. The lineup features renowned composers and musicians including Actress, Caterina Barbieri, Klein, Space Afrika, Tim Hecker and Ziúr. The building itself is worth a visit and the radiating feelings of solitude make it the perfect place for some mid-performance introspection.
Text: Claire Mouchemore / Credit: Helge Mundt; Frankie Casillo
Kraftwerk Berlin, Köpenicker Str.70, 10179 Berlin–Mitte; map
Metabolic Rift, 25.09–30.10.2021
The concert program begins 26.09.
You can buy tickets online.
@berlinatonal
@kraftwerkberlinofficial
