FREE ENTRY / 48 Hours Neukölln - "Urban silence"

How do you actually define silence and what role does it play in an urban space? Can we break out of the all-encompassing flood of sound in the city to enjoy silence or its ideal? What urban and architectural requirements would have to be met for this? Is silence even possible and desirable in an urban environment? The annual theme for the 2024 festival edition calls for reflection on silence in urban spaces as well as on the physical - cultural meaning of urban sound space.

Historical, personal and aesthetic meanings of sound spaces evoke associations and reactions that enable us to classify, group and interpret sounds individually. Through cultural contexts, personal preferences and prejudices as well as artistic conventions and aesthetic decisions, the process of hearing sound becomes a subjective experience, even in an urban environment.

How do you navigate urban soundscapes and what role do they play locally…