gossip, commérage, klatsch, dedikoducu, bârfă

A multimedia installation that explored the themes and methods of urban gossip through the collection and mapping of stories from Frankfurt's Bahnhofsviertel (train station district) to the storefront of Synnika e.V., understanding everyday personal conversations as acts of care and participatory practices for mutual empowerment. The project was developed in collaboration with people, initiatives and communities in the Bahnhofsviertel, with the aim of recording gossip stories about experiences in and with the urban space around Niddastraße.

Gossip and commérage are often perceived as unimportant, unproductive, or even malicious. However, this uncomplicated form of exchange offers both moral and practical support: it enables mutual help, facilitates the exchange of goods and knowledge, and provides space for personal issues – for example, at work, on the street, at the hairdresser's, or at the kiosk. Gossip cannot be controlled and has therefore been significant in resistance movements as well. It served as a resource for the oppressed, a central means of self-presentation, and a form of solidarity. ​​​​​​​

A spin-off of the interview series in the Bahnhofsviertel was published in the magazine
Arts of the Working Class: