AudioWalk »Typografy and Orientation«

The Berlin TV Tower is a visible landmark that helps many people orient themselves. But how does orientation work without such a point – when we are underground, for instance? And how do you persuade people to enter the dark, confined space of the underground world in the first place? The history of the Berlin underground, the U-Bahn, transports walkers on a journey through the development of guidance systems, symbol systems and signs. It raises questions that go far beyond the aesthetic level: to what extent can complexity be reduced without stereotyping? How is »order« created in a social space? How long can you look at someone in the U-Bahn? And who is watching me through CCTV, for example – and how does that influence my behaviour? How do you mark out your territory on an U-Bahn train? Can travelling on the U-Bahn be a collective experience? Geography meets typography meets urban history meets ethnology meets architecture. U-Bahn passengers experience different concepts of space – real space and the symbolic space on overview maps. At the same time, sound effects also repeatedly challenge audio walkers’ sense of orientation. To conclude the walk, we end in the famous department store KaDeWe, where we reflect on the orientation value of brands before heading to the seventh floor to gaze at the TV Tower again.

Download map

Meer, Julia/Steindorf, Johanna/Lamas Cornejo, Claudia (Konzeption und Koordination) (2018): Orientierung, Ordnung, Typografie. Audiowalk. Dauer: 80 Min. Mit Beiträgen von Juliane Köhler, Tom Lilge, Christian Loeben, Julia Meer, Christine Schmid, Erik Spiekermann, Johanna Steindorf, Katharina Walter. Sounddesign: Jonas Palzer.