In everyday life, we are constantly surrounded by images. They shape the way we perceive other people and cultures.

The quality and quantity of artistic production in Neukölln is very high. This wealth and artistic professionalism is taken into account by the Neukölln Art Award - established by the Department of Culture in cooperation with Kulturnetzwerk Neukölln e.V.

As the title reveals, the focus of Material Matters – The Aesthetics of Utility is the material of the various works in the exhibition. The artist’s main concern is the question of whether we build familiarity with objects and materials through sounds and haptics or through cultural contexts.

The five artists explore the limits of the recognisable and nameable and work beyond the usual repertoire of perception. They offer viewers a range of associations based on collective cultural codes as well as individual worlds of visual experience.

Domestic sounds, everyday sounds that are frequently overheard unfold their auditory power in partially sculptural works and convey vividly, humorously diverse tones. Leventhal’s sound installations combine multi-channel electroacoustic compositions with sculptural approaches and video elements that focus on specific archetypes and experiences of living.

Is silence the same as stillness and the absence of words, or is there more to the inaudible?

There is an abundance of high-quality work produced in Neukölln’s vibrant art sce-ne. The Neukölln Art Prize reflects this richness and professionalism with applica-tions from nearly 170 artists working or living in Neukölln. Eight of those applicants have been nominated for the art prize, worth a total of 6000 euros, by a jury of sev-en experts. Their works feature in a group exhibition at Galerie im Saalbau.

Can the Earth be considered a sculptural body in motion? Artist Kati Gausmann deals with geological processes. She recognises our planet as a material in which structural forces are at work and which is in constant flux.

Franca Wohlt takes the many ways humans shape and transform their environment as a jumping-off point for her photographic work. Three very different series by Wohlt produced over the past ten years document traces left by past and current social visions.

The “Think positive!” exhibition by Saeed Foroghi and Thilo Droste is a challenge not just to the spirit, but also to looking. And to being looked at. Pessimism has become part of the artistic program here rather than a signifier of any spiritual failing.