Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley: THE SOUL STATION

Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley’s game-based installation, which just opened in Berlin, invites visitors to become players in a speculative universe. Facing choices that contend with biases and exclusions, they can gain insights into an archive of voices past and present.

THE SOUL STATION, presented by LAS Art Foundation, is Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley’s first solo presentation in Germany. Staged in two episodes, YOU CAN’T HIDE ANYTHING (July 12–September 1) and ARE YOU SOULLESS, TOO? (September 13–October 13, 2024), the installation opened on July 11 at Halle am Berghain, Berlin, to over 1,000 visitors in three hours. 

THE SOUL STATION features a newly commissioned, two-part work and a survey of video games from the past five years. The newly-commissioned game, played collaboratively in an installation reminiscent of a public arena, is the culmination of a journey through the exhibition space, which invites you to contend with your own experience, choices and biases.

The first episode, YOU CAN’T HIDE ANYTHING, tells the story of a cataclysmic event in a parallel society, where a revolution has been waged against globalised slavery and the enslavers have been overthrown. In the second episode, ARE YOU SOULLESS, TOO?, the audience witnesses the conversations of a new group of characters who have migrated from one universe to another, while also providing a behind-the-scenes look at the real people and conversations that brought the first episode to life.

THE SOUL STATION builds on the artist’s work with the audience-as-medium. On arrival, each visitor receives a SOUL CODE, a token enabling them to track their progress and choices throughout the games. This can be done by accessing SOUL STATIONS—functioning similarly to video game checkpoints—which are available throughout the exhibition and online, allowing one to embark on a personal and introspective journey. Answering questions and deciphering symbols, visitors can, as the artist suggests, cleanse their souls. 

Offering a comprehensive survey of Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley’s oeuvre, THE SOUL STATION includes key works from the past five years. The selection for this survey differs with each episode. Together, they trace the artist’s practice, which combines lived experience with speculative fiction to shed light on positions and histories that are often simplified or disregarded. Highlights include INTO THE STORM (2021) (shown as part of Episode I), NO SPACE FOR REDEMPTION (2024) (Episode I), and I CAN’T FOLLOW YOU ANYMORE (2023) (Episode II).

Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley: THE SOUL STATION is co-curated by Boris Magrini, Senior Curator at LAS Art Foundation and Guest Curator Mawena Yehouessi, with Agnessa Schmudke, Assistant Curator at LAS Art Foundation. The presentation is accompanied by a public programme of workshops and performances at Halle am Berghain.

Visitor information
Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley: THE SOUL STATION, 2024
Commissioned by LAS Art Foundation

Episode I: YOU CAN’T HIDE ANYTHING
July 12–September 1, 2024

Episode II: ARE YOU SOULLESS, TOO?
September 13–October 13, 2024, during Berlin Art Week

Location: Halle am Berghain, Berlin, Am Wriezener Bahnhof, 10243 Berlin. 
Times: Open Tuesday to Saturday from 2–10pm and Sundays from 12–8pm, including public holidays. Closed on Mondays. 
Accessibility: This installation is barrier-free. For more information, please visit our FAQ here. 
Tickets: Tickets are available to book here. 16 EUR / 10 EUR reduced.

Notes to editors
Press contacts: Selin Sahin: selin.sahin [​at​] las-art.foundation / T +49 (0) 152 22651976.
Sophie Furse: sophie.furse [​at​] las-art.foundation / T +49 (0) 173 3657284.