When sound, food, and culture come together, a board game can become a stage: Anima SGN brings Vietnamese perspectives to the forests of Brandenburg – as part of Art Biesenthal. Next weekend (09–10.08.), the collective moves Vietnamese culture and creativity to Brandenburg – to Art Biesenthal. Embedded within the group exhibition Some Degree of Friction, curated by Tjioe Meyer Hecken, spaces for gathering will emerge throughout the weekend (09–10.08.): two days of sound, encounters, shared meals, and play. The line-up includes sound storytelling, movement, and experimentation, with performances, live singing, pieces on the gayageum harp, the vibrations of the Đàn Bầu, and DJ sets by Enyang Urbiks and others. They will be joined by Saigon Kiss, an interdisciplinary collective connecting a community of Vietnamese creatives around the world. Their platform brings together artists, designers, and authors, pouring their visions of tradition, the present, and the future into curated pop-ups, art direction, and publications, thereby opening up the topic of Vietnamese identity. On Saturday and Sunday, they will be cooking Vietnamese food and hosting a BBQ-inspired dinner in the evening.
Usually, the collective of Echo Xuedan Tang, Lisa Kuro, and others brings the traditional Chinese game to evening gatherings at café and bar tables throughout the city. This time, they will be heading to Biesenthal. Mahjong Baobei wants to make the tactile game accessible to a diverse audience, but is open to new interpretations. Mahjong is an invitation to play and think strategically, but also to sit together, ponder, and laugh — because the Berlin collective is interested in the social space that opens up when four people play together. You can read the rules on their website before the game. Whether at the BBQ, while listening, or playing – those who engage won’t just learn the rules, but discover new spaces.
Text: Emma Zylla / Photos: Art Biesenthal, Wehrmühle, Lisa Suki, Saigon Kiss
Art Biesenthal, Wehrmühlenweg 8, 16359 Biesenthal; map
Some Degree Of Friction until 31.08.2025, Sat+Sun 12–19h
Anima SGN 09.–10.08.2025. Find tickets here.
Saigon Kiss 09.–10.08.2025 12–19h, Dinner Experience 19h. RSVP here.
Mahjong Baobei 09.–10.08.2025. Find the rules of the game here.
@artbiesenthal
@anima.sgn
@tjioe_hecken
@enyang_ha
@saigon.kiss
@mahjong.baobei
@absolut_echo_x
@lisa.kuro
