Techno is a genre of recent music history. Originating from different music genres, techno has developed in Detroit and Berlin, two urban places with very different historical developments. At the time of techno's emergence, both cities were undergoing drastic changes: in Detroit, big industry had left; formerly divided Berlin was at the center of Germany's reunification.

The exhibition "The Birth of Techno. From Detroit to Berlin" examines the developments of the techno movement in both cities. The focus is to show the relationships between the techno movements in Detroit and Berlin.

By including actors from Detroit and Berlin, new perspectives on the mostly "white," Eurocentric narratives about techno in this country become possible and African-American influences on techno become visible, to which Detroit techno refers. Here, it becomes apparent that Detroit techno draws its artistic and aesthetic references from Afrofuturism and other utopian narratives. Berlin's techno history is strongly influenced by Detroit, not least through exchanges and performances by Detroit artists. At the same time, the Wende era, which was marked by deindustrialization and fragmented urban development, is an important context for the developments of Berlin techno.

As a decolonizing narrative space, the exhibition aims to foreground the often neglected histories and voices of Detroit techno, to address appropriations and marketing strategies in German techno, and finally to look at stubborn, sometimes small-scale structures of Berlin techno culture.

In the run-up to the exhibition, DJs Sarah Farina and SENU gave DJ workshops with young people. In cooperation with the Berlin club Tresor, a party with Detroit and other DJs will take place after the exhibition opening on June 2. There will also be events with other Berlin clubs and actors from the scene. More information will follow.

At the opening on June 2, starting at 6 p.m., Detroit artist and member of Underground Resistance Abdul Qadim Haqq will translate his view of techno into painting. A painting will be created during the opening, which will be on display for the duration of the exhibition.

Curated by Arastu Salehi.
Design by eckedesign.
Supported by funds from the Hauptstadtkulturfonds and the Checkpoint Charly Foundation.