Introduction

In April 2014, drawing from her background as a curator, researcher, and networker in the fields of digital culture and activism, Tatiana Bazzichelli founded the Disruption Network Lab in Berlin. The aim was to develop a public programme, grounded in artistic experimentation and critical investigation, to expose systems of power and injustice and empower transdisciplinary communities. Conceptually, the curatorial methodology connected three principles: disruption, as a challenge to interfere within closed political and technological systems; networking, as a means of developing open, participatory contexts for exchange between artists, activists, tech experts, whistleblowers, investigative journalists, and researchers; and the experimental laboratory, as a format for creating awareness, literacy and reflection, focusing on the pressing topics of our time.

Over the past eleven years, these practices evolved into a dynamic programme of interdisciplinary events, conferences, and community activities, as well as a research centre – the Disruption Network Institute. Since 2015, the organisation has hosted more than thirty-five conferences in various independent locations across Berlin, notably Studio 1, Kunstquartier Bethanien, a venue historically connected to countercultural and cultural movements in the city. Today, their objective is to continue exploring how artistic and activist practices, combined with an investigatory approach to producing evidence, can generate new forms of literacy, participation, and social awareness, both locally and globally. In this text, Disruption Network Lab’s director Tatiana Bazzichelli offers a reflection on the curatorial methodology behind the organisation, with a focus on building networks of trust, activating interdisciplinary communities, and fostering cultural participation at the intersection of politics, technology, and society.

Context

This text is one of the pilot studies of Re-Imagine Europe: New Perspectives for Action. In these contributions we explore and reflect on artistic practices and experimental approaches in the cultural field that can engage and activate audiences and communities to address ecological, social, and political challenges. The pilot studies provide an overview of practices of cultural organisations that can serve as models, recipes, or tools for transformation for current and future generations of cultural workers and artists.

Read the pilot study directly on our website or download the PDF to save for later.