POP Students Open Art Exhibition in Berlin's No. 1 Shopping Center
What happens when you put 40,000€ in the hands of two creative minds and let them loose on one of the biggest department stores in Germany? The answer: Artcellation.
Finally, the time has come - the winners of the Alexa First Store competition unleash their interactive experience project Artcellation in the heart of Berlin. For months, the girls from SURD have put hard work and brainpower into their project; and we've been cheering along. Now the grand opening is finally coming up at the ALEXA shopping center in Berlin.
What is there to see?
Exciting, creative, different... These are the words that come to mind when you think about Artcellation. After a lot of tinkering and construction work, the winning concept of the ALEXA First Store competition will be on display for 6 weeks on 18sqm of exhibition space in the department store.
Since its opening in 2007, ALEXA has been the number one shopping mall in Berlin. With over 180 stores in all kinds of areas, ALEXA offers a unique shopping and leisure experience for a broad, international target group - the perfect place to get a foothold in the creative industry and a huge opportunity for the two winners.
In January 2021, the third edition of the award-winning First Store competition started in cooperation with ALEXA - this time exclusively for students of United POP. The search was for a cross-disciplinary, creative concept, the implementation of which was supported by ALEXA with 40,000€. In May, a jury consisting of industry professionals reviewed the 5 best project proposals and chose Artcellation by SURD. Oliver Hanna, jury member and center manager of ALEXA is convinced of the potential of the concept:
"I am sure that when the time comes, Artcellation by SURD will give us exciting and very lively, inspiring weeks at ALEXA"
Experiencing art with all senses
Shaleen and Dana, the duo behind the collective SURD, describe their project as an "interactive, multimedia exhibition space with integrated action and interaction areas". The goal of the project is not only the conscious perception and experience of art with all senses, but also the support and further development of the artist community and the cultural life in Berlin:
"Culture meets shopping center - in the middle of Berlin. This will be a great experiment",
Shaleen and Dana are delighted. We don't want to give too much away yet, but one thing is for sure: The girls clearly convinced the jury with their concept.
Of course, we'll be documenting the action on site and providing you with regular updates. Follow us on Instagram for exclusive content, exciting features, pictures and interviews about the First Store project!
Are you close to Berlin? Then be sure to stop by, see for yourself, and immerse yourself with all your senses in a world of artistic communication; there's a lot to discover!