Belly of the Beast is an immersive, large-scale installation inspired by the legendary Spreeblitz ride from Berlin’s abandoned Spreepark. It is explored through the notion of myth-making as a catalyst for change (inspired by Octavia Butler’s notion that change is the only constant - God is Change). The project transforms the physical and mythological landscape of Spreepark, a place layered with public memory, fantasy, decay, and renewal, into a sensory journey. At its core, the project aims to utilise the fragility of memory, or fragmented nostalgia, to prompt a long game between exhibition visitors, whereby true and untrue narratives of Spreepark are negotiated. This journey invites visitors to enter, explore, and ultimately confront the very narratives that shape our understanding of place, history, and truth.
Just as the Spreeblitz coaster once lured riders into its whirl of excitement, fear, and exhilaration, this installation draws participants into an environment where storytelling becomes both ride and revelation. We engage with myth-making as a critical method for challenging fixed assumptions and inherited memories, creating a space where new stories can be formed through play and collective inquiry.
The structure is a walk-through sculptural environment, combining tactile, visual, auditory, and interactive elements. Visitors enter through an arched portal that directly recalls the entrance tunnel of the Spreeblitz ride, a threshold from the ordinary world into one of myth. The original Spreeblitz tunnel and the internal architecture are constructed primarily from French newspapers; initially, a practical decision for their texture, scale, and structural versatility. In experience, however, this material invites a specific reading: it frames the newspaper as a foundational site of contemporary myth-making. The layered pages present a tangible archive of local tales, propaganda, half-truths, agendas, and fading memories—the raw materials of modern folklore. Just as the newspapers construct narratives that shape public perception, the installation invites visitors to navigate, interact with, and ultimately alter a new mythological landscape inspired by Spreepark.
Beyond the arched portal, the path unfolds into a series of chambers and interactive stations:
PLAY & EMBODIMENT STATIONS
The installation houses interactive elements that engage the audience in physical play and role-play, allowing them to step into the story. This includes tactile toys modeled on park artifacts and abstracted ride components, and face masks that invite visitors to assume the roles of various characters within the Spreepark mythology—from former workers and visitors to fictional creatures of its lore.
MYTHICAL LANDSCAPE PANELS
Large, illustrated panels depict the story of Spreepark not as a linear history, but as a series of interconnected myths embedded within a fantastical landscape. These visual narratives blend real iconography, like the park’s dinosaur figures and forsaken Ferris wheel, with speculative fiction and echoes of its social and political history.
PARTICAPATORY MYTH-MAKING
The interactive storyscapes invite visitors to directly engage in the act of collective remembrance. By altering existing myths, layering new stories over old fragments, and leaving their own impressions, they do not just witness the archive; they actively expand it. This collaborative intervention culminates in a shared moment of revelation: shaping how Spreepark is remembered, weaving individual contributions into the fabric of its ongoing myth.