Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, THE SOUL STATION, 2024. Installation view at Halle am Berghain, Berlin. Commissioned by LAS Art Foundation. Courtesy the artist; LAS Art Foundation. Photo: Alwin Lay
Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley
THE SOUL STATION
July 12–October 13, 2024
Episode I, YOU CAN’T HIDE ANYTHING: July 12–September 8
Episode II, ARE YOU SOULLESS, TOO?: September 12–October 13
Halle am Berghain
Am Wriezener bhf
Am Wriezener Bahnhof
10243 Berlin
Germany
Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley’s new game-based installation, THE SOUL STATION, has opened in Berlin and will remain open until October, offering visitors an immersive experience in a fictional universe. Through interactive choices, visitors confront biases and exclusions, gaining insights into an archive of voices from the past and present.
Presented by LAS Art Foundation, this is Brathwaite-Shirley’s first solo exhibition in Germany, unfolding in two episodes: YOU CAN’T HIDE ANYTHING (July 12–September 8) and ARE YOU SOULLESS, TOO? (September 12–October 13, 2024). The installation debuted on July 11 at Halle am Berghain, attracting over 1,000 visitors within three hours.
Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, THE SOUL STATION, 2024. Installation view at Halle am Berghain, Berlin. Commissioned by LAS Art Foundation. Courtesy the artist; LAS Art Foundation. Photo: Alwin Lay
THE SOUL STATION includes a newly commissioned, two-part work and a retrospective of the artist’s video games from the past five years. The new game, played collaboratively in an arena-like setting, guides visitors through the exhibition, challenging them to reflect on their experiences and biases.
In YOU CAN’T HIDE ANYTHING, the first episode, a parallel society’s cataclysmic event leads to a revolution against globalized slavery. The second episode, ARE YOU SOULLESS, TOO?, introduces new characters migrating between universes and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the people and conversations that shaped the first episode.
Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, THE SOUL STATION, 2024. Installation view at Halle am Berghain, Berlin. Commissioned by LAS Art Foundation. Courtesy the artist; LAS Art Foundation. Photo: Alwin Lay
Visitors receive a SOUL CODE to track their progress and choices throughout the games. SOUL STATIONS, similar to video game checkpoints, are available throughout the exhibition and online, facilitating a personal and introspective journey. Visitors answer questions and decipher symbols, as suggested by the artist, to cleanse their souls.
THE SOUL STATION showcases a comprehensive survey of Brathwaite-Shirley’s work, featuring key pieces from the past five years. The selection varies with each episode, highlighting the artist’s blend of lived experience and speculative fiction to reveal overlooked histories. Notable works include INTO THE STORM (2021), NO SPACE FOR REDEMPTION (2024), and I CAN’T FOLLOW YOU ANYMORE (2023).
Co-curated by Boris Magrini, Senior Curator at LAS Art Foundation, and Guest Curator Mawena Yehouessi, with Assistant Curator Agnessa Schmudke, THE SOUL STATION is accompanied by a public program of workshops and performances at Halle am Berghain.
LINK: Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley
LINK: THE SOUL STATION
