Berlin – Often nothing of interest hangs on construction site fences in Berlin. Advertising or information about who is building what here, about new luxury offices or apartments. In any case, construction sites are annoying, with noise and traffic restrictions. It’s different in Prinzenstrasse 32 in Kreuzberg, almost at Moritzplatz. Here art is hanging on a construction site. Twelve portrait photos of construction workers in black and white, of men and women, skilled and migrant workers.
Zeynep Karacorluoglu stands in front of her poster and laughs. “In the beginning it was strange to see my own face anywhere,” says the 23-year-old, “but it also makes you proud”. The Berliner works as a student trainee on a construction site in Friedrichshain, where she assists the construction management. “Janine Baumeister saw me there too and approached me for her project ‘Eyes on Concrete’.” A young woman with a headscarf and helmet, the photo and video artist liked the motif. At times she used it to post an entire house front.
Karcorluoglu immediately agreed to Baumeister’s art project. “I wanted to use it as an opportunity to draw more attention to women on construction sites,” she says, “so that you can look behind the facade, which people are behind the fences and do hard work.” Like the many migrant workers on construction sites who usually do Remaining anonymous, the exhibition wanders through Berlin: In Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain and Tiergarten, the posters can be seen on site fences until March. In September there was also an indoor exhibition, and from November a house wall will also be painted.
Anyone passing by can scan a QR code on the posters with their mobile phone and access a website where the protagonists tell their stories in interviews and show their everyday lives in videos.
Volkmar Otto
Many just race past carelessly. The posters in Prinzenstrasse wander through the city on various construction fences.
In addition to Zeynep, the facility management student, drywall builder Przemyslaw from Poland also speaks there, who gets up at 3 a.m. every morning to drive to Berlin. Industrial mechanic Mirjan from Albania who speaks eight languages. Drywall builder Miri, who reports on sexual assault on construction sites.
Mason Bernard, who fled Cameroon to Germany. Ex-inmate Remo. Or demolition site manager Marco, who traveled via the GDR, England, France and the Netherlands to construction sites in Hong Kong.
“A lot of people are annoyed by construction sites, so was I.” says artist Baumeister, who with her film production company in Friedrichshain had a construction site in front of her nose and was about to move. Then she looked some construction workers in the eyes and saw how many stories they were telling.
She applied for funding from the Lotto Foundation Berlin for her photo project and received it in February. In addition, it received free space from property developers. “But I didn’t want to do an advertising campaign for building, I wanted to tell people’s stories,” she clarifies. With this concept, she also won over renowned artists such as Trettmann, Alli Neumann and Kitschkrieg for the film music.
Women in construction are often better caregivers
“I was welcomed with open arms on construction sites and spoke to the people on site,” reports Baumeister. The reaction was often: “Why do you want to talk to me? I’m not exciting. ”The artist sees it differently. “I also wanted to show the diversity of the construction sites, the many professions, the internationality, the language barriers.” Some people don’t even realize how many women work in construction.
Like Zeynep Karacorluoglu. “Unfortunately, I’m still the exception, because unfortunately women are often not as trusted as men on construction sites,” she says. In doing so, they could make up for what may be lacking in physical strength with human qualities. “Women are often more talented in terms of interpersonal skills and are good caregivers,” she says, and men too cannot always cope with the rough tone on construction sites. “Many simply want recognition for their work.”
The construction workers may get a little more of it from the pictures on the fences. Even if many cars, cyclists and passers-by unfortunately only carelessly rush past the factory in Prinzenstrasse, which is covered by guardrails.
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