X Shared Spaces

The booming “sharing economy” represents a new philosophy of sharing and cooperation. But what began as an altruistic business model has become tainted by an egotistical desire for profit in recent years. Is it possible to recapture the solidarity-based, utopian potential of the early sharing economy in order to envision the future of urban society and cohabitation?
In its project “X Shared Spaces“, the Munich Kammerspiele has addressed the paradoxes, benefits and drawbacks of these new economies, exemplified by such start-ups as Airbnb, Uber and NeighborGoods. The project investigated how society and everyday life have been radically affected by the conditions of the digital age. The participating artists have explored the theme at venues in the city of Munich, including 21 private Airbnb flats, coworking spaces and apartments. International artists, such as Susanne Kennedy, Alexander Giesche and Damian Rebgetz, have developed ten-minute pieces for these venues which aimed to transfer the cultures of the digital realm into the physical world. Audience members have been paired up and directed on walking tours which took them to the various performances, installations and plays. On these site-specific strolls through Munich, the viewers have become tourists in their own city, modern rental nomads, collectors of urban and virtual experiences. “X Shared Spaces” hoped to offer viewers an idea of what the future of urban societies could look like and what opportunities, contradictions and risks the economies of tomorrow might bring.

Developed by and featuring: Alexander Giesche, Susanne Kennedy, Damian Rebgetz (AU), Susanne Steinmassl, Britta Thie and others