3G-SHOP: COMMUNAL KITCHEN

SERIES OF WORKSHOPS AND TEMPORARY INSTALLATIONS IN EMPTY SHOPS

3G- SHOP: COMMUNAL KITCHEN is one of the various interventions i Collective made in the frame of the project 3G-SHOP. It is an innovative concept of sharing a communal cooking space. i Collective displayed the idea as an interactive installation with sound, light and illustration.

3G-SHOP is a series of artistic interventions in empty shops  in Berlin´s district of Moabit, developed in different phases: research, production and impact. Firstly, we hosted a two-days workshop with the neighbors, in which we collected impressions, ideas, needs as well as discussed different possibilities of local development. During these meetings we tried to merge individual wishes and collective needs for that specific neighborhood. This is the time dedicated for research, conceptual definitions and exchange with the neighbors. After that, i Collective’s team analyzed the ideas that came out during the meetings and proposed one installation in order to imaginatively recreate it.

The production phase is carried out in collaboration with the neighbors, what triggers a reciprocal learning process. The work behind a transparent surface such a shop window increased the passerby’s curiosity, fostering the dialogue with different people of the area.

For the presentation of the project, i Collective organized an open event with music, food and drinks. Apart from promoting the relationship between the neighbors, these experiences allowed us the have the first feedback from the community. However, the impact could be measured only some weeks later. In most of the cases, the installation attracted the attention of shop-seekers, increasing the visits to the shops -which were empty for over one year- and finally enabling its use for a local business. Other positive repercussions include the inspiration of some nearby projects, which made our proposal real in form of a start up.

3G is supported by the program Soziale Stadt (EU, Bund und Land Berlin).