Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley: THE SOUL STATION

THE SOUL STATION is Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley’s first solo presentation in Germany, featuring a newly commissioned work and a survey of earlier video games. Through game-based installations and fictional universes, THE SOUL STATION invites you to explore your ethical, political and moral decision-making, and considers the broader structures and histories of marginalisation. A newly commissioned work is presented in two episodes; a second episode is revealed on 13 September 2024, during Berlin Art Week.

At Halle am Berghain, ARE YOU SOULLESS, TOO? will be presented at the centre of an immersive, haunting environment created by the artist. Its architecture will evoke ‘low poly PlayStation 2’ aesthetics and allude to uncanny beings that appear throughout the course of the game. The audience witnesses the conversations of a new group of characters who have migrated from one universe to another, confronting different ideologies as they reflect and discuss them together. While the gameplay and controls follow the same mechanics as the first episode, the dynamic between the players sitting in the central chair and the audience is more antagonistic compared to the collective effort required in the previous episode. At the same time, Episode 2 offers a behind-the-scenes look at the real people and conversations that brought Episode 1, YOU CAN’T HIDE ANYTHING, to life.