Ping Tan Tales

Two streets, half a world apart, mirror each other like night and day. On one side, Herzbergstrasse in Berlin - a conglomeration of chintzy stores, car repair shops and Chinese fast-food joints with one of the large Asian import-export shopping centres in the German capital. On the other side, Ping Jiang Road in the Chinese city of Suzhou, full of freshly renovated, empty storefronts, just waiting to be filled with Western goods. Ping Tan Tales, a theatre and publication project, examined the identity of individuals in a world between local tradition and global renewal. After the participants concluded their study of both streets, they integrated their findings into a theatre piece which was both an exhibition and performance.

Artistic directors: Gesine Danckwart, Susanne Vincenz
Participants: SHFZ Architectural Design (CHN), Büro West
Venue: Sophiensaele, Berlin