KINDL signs | space

Open Call KINDL signs | space
The third edition of this series, KINDL signs | space, features Beyond Performance by Fadi Aljabour, Squirt-Eis by Julia Frankenberg, and ÜBER LEBEN by Kavata Mbiti. The performances were selected through an open call and impressed the jury with their ability to address the spatial conditions of the premises and socially relevant issues with sensitivity and determination.

Programme KINDL signs | space
The programme starts with artist Kavata Mbiti performing with whips that she dips in paint. With deafening blows, her actions engage directly with the site. Her work ÜBER LEBEN is a performance from her series A Thousand and One Lives, in which the artist confronts the experience of physical violence and creates painful poetic gestures that convey both emancipation and resistance, leaving visible traces on her surroundings.

Throughout the afternoon, Julia Frankenberg will drive her Squirt-Eis ice cream truck around the grounds of the former Kindl brewery, offering colourful ice sculptures in the shape of prostate glands. The artist questions why there is still so little research into the pleasurable sensations of people with female sex organs. Her performance calls attention to significant knowledge gaps, the gender data gap, and an organ of the body still shrouded in mystery – the female prostate.

The event concludes at 5 pm with Beyond Performance by Fadi Aljabour in the Vollguter Community Garden. The artist uses public space to give drag queens a stage without a stage. Taking a radical yet simple approach, he goes beyond mere performance to celebrate their presence and the importance of self-determination. Aljabour addresses the discrepancy between the public perception of drag as mere entertainment, as often portrayed in television and theatre, with its manifestation as an expression of queer identity in daily life. Concept, choreography and spatial design: Fadi Aljabour. With Antina Christ, Christina Corpse, Bolbola Fucktional, Santana sex machine, Isu Mignon Mignonne, Toylette Paypr and Bella Troia.

About the artists
Fadi Aljabour (* 1980 in Damascus) currently lives in Berlin. The interdisciplinary artist explores the interconnectedness of the evolution of opposing concepts. His diverse works span sculpture, performance and video installations, showcasing versatile techniques and materials. His work has been shown in numerous exhibitions, including at Documenta 15 (2022); Ethnologisches Museum, Berlin (2022); Brücke Museum (2021), nGbK (2021), Akademie der Künste, Berlin (2018).

Julia Frankenberg (* 1982 in Frankfurt am Main) lives and works in Berlin. As a sculptor, she is interested in feminist and social issues, seeking to reclaim hidden, repressed and unseen aspects and making them visible in public space. Her Squirt-Eis ice cream truck has been featured at Britzenale (2023); 48 Stunden Neukölln (2022); Elftowertage in Hamburg (2020). Her work was also exhibited at Hinterconti (2023, 2016) and Kunsthalle Kempten (2018).

Kavata Mbiti (* 1976 in Nyon, Switzerland) lives and works in Berlin. Comprising sculpture, drawing and performance, her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, including at Galerie Jochen Hempel, Leipzig (2023); Kunsthaus Potsdam (2021); Künstlerhaus Bethanien (2020); and Skulpturenpark Waldfrieden (2019).  

Open call jury:
Katja Kynast (Head of Communication and Discursive Programme)
Magdalena Mai (KINDL, Curator, Head of Project)

LCavaliero Mann (SchwuZ, Artistic Director)
Sadaf Vasaei (KINDL, Head of Project, Outreach)

KINDL signs | space
Curators: Katja Kynast, Magdalena Mai
Head of Project: Katherina Perlongo
Special thanks to Fabian and everyone from the Vollguter Community Garden, Lcavaliero Mann and SchwuZ, Terra Libra, Maik and the team from Café Babette – and Louisa Engel.