Presented by the LAS Art Foundation, THE SOUL STATION is Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley’s first solo presentation in Germany, shown by LAS at Halle am Berghain, Berlin, from 12 July to 13 October 2024.
THE SOUL STATION features a survey of video games made by Brathwaite-Shirley over the past five years. Through game-based installations and fictional universes, the exhibition explores ethical, political and moral decision-making, and considers the broader structures and histories of marginalisation. A newly commissioned work, entitled YOU CAN’T HIDE ANYTHING, will be presented in two episodes; the second episode will be revealed on 12 September 2024 during Berlin Art Week.
At Halle am Berghain, YOU CAN’T HIDE ANYTHING will be presented at the centre of an immersive, haunting environment created by the artist. Its architecture will evoke ‘low poly PlayStation 2’ aesthetics and allude to uncanny beings that appear throughout the course of the game. The work tells the story of a cataclysmic event in a society parallel to ours, where a revolution has been led against globalised slavery and overthrown the enslavers. Played using a voting system, it features a central gamer’s chair and circle of player-spectators who, together, define the story’s final outcome, building on the artist’s work with the audience-as-medium and is the culmination of a journey visitors will take through the space. On arrival, each visitor will receive a ‘SOUL CARD’, a token enabling them to track their progress and choices throughout the games. This can be done by accessing ‘SOUL STATIONS’ – functioning similarly to video game checkpoints – which will be available throughout the presentation as well as online. The journey will invite visitors to contend with their own experiences, choices and biases.
The artist states: you are entering a space / this space will show you your soul / allowing you to / reflect on your past, present and future / you may not like what you see / you may feel uncomfortable / you may not be able to hold yourself together / but that is where the real work is done right? / none of you are perfect / all of you can do better / be honest about your failures / be honest about your regrets / be honest about where you are / bring your despair, fear, hopes, depression, excitement, tears, intoler- ance, joy, desperation, utopia, mistakes, anger, pain, pleasure / just bring yourself
Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley (pronouns Danielle/they) is a Berlin-based artist who graduated from Slade School of Fine Art, London in 2019. Working pre- dominantly in animation, sound, performance and video game development, the artist explores voices that (en)counter miss-representation, exclusion and mainstream erasure, with a focus on Black and Trans communities. Through this approach, the artist both archives and anticipates narratives outside of the mainstream, so as to overcome the harms of tokenisation and erasure. By engaging the visitor-player through most of their installations, Brathwaite-Shirley examines how individual choices are as critical as collective, political responsibility in the context of marginalisation. Brathwaite-Shirley’s work has been the subject of solo exhibitions and performances at Studio Voltaire, London, UK (2024); SCAD, Savannah, USA (2023); Art Night Dundee, UK (2023); Villa Arson, Nice, France (2023); FACT, Liverpool, UK(2022); David Kordansky, Los Angeles, USA (2022); Project Arts Centre, Dublin, Ireland (2022); Skånes konstförening, Malmö, Sweden (2022); arebyte Gallery, London, UK (2021); QUAD, Derby, UK (2021); Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, USA (2021); Tate Modern, London, UK (2020); Focal Point Gallery, Southend-on-Sea, UK (2020); Science Gallery, London, UK (2020); and MU Hybrid Art House, Eindhoven, Netherlands (2020). Brathwaite-Shirley’s works have also been represented in group exhibitions at the Biennale de l’Image en Mouvement, Centre d’Art Contemporain Genève, Geneva, Switzerland (2024); Julia Stoschek Foundation, Berlin, Germany (2022); Münchner Kammerspiele, Munich, Germany (2019); Les Urbaines, Lausanne, Suisse (2019); and Barbican, London, UK (2018).
LAS Art Foundation is a new type of arts organisation — one that looks deep into our present and gives form to future imaginaries. The Foundation works with visionary artists, thinkers and institutions around the globe to develop ground-breaking projects and experiences. They investigate topics ranging from artificial intelligence and quantum computing to ecology and biotechnology — illuminating the intersections between art, science and technology.
