1. Data Walk - "Overflown"
Subject: Waste bin capacity and litter around Berlin Hauptbahnhof.
Data Collection Process: This was our first data collection session, and figuring out what exactly to track was the biggest initial hurdle. With no prior reference point, it took some time to settle on measurable categories. During the walk, I counted total waste bins, overflowing bins (where nothing more could fit), and loose piles of litter on the street. I also counted public benches along the route as an additional data point, but ultimately decided not to include this in the final artwork, as it didn't fit the narrative of waste and overflow I wanted to focus on.
Challenges: The main challenge was deciding what counted as data in an unfamiliar, open-ended task.
2. Counting - "Bakery Flow"
Subject: Pedestrian behavior in front of a bakery at Potsdam Hauptbahnhof.
Data Collection Process: I conducted three separate 10-minute counting sessions in front of the bakery, tracking four categories of passersby: people who simply walked past, people who looked with interest but didn't buy anything, people who bought food, and people who bought a drink. The averages across the three sessions became the basis for the line quantities in the final piece.
Challenges: Data collection itself was straightforward with no major issues. The bigger challenge came during the painting process: having little prior experience with acrylic paint, my lines ended up thicker than planned, making the composition busier and more crowded than intended. Despite this, the final piece still communicated the data clearly.
3. Interviews - "Coffee Run"
Subject: Barista preferences and bestselling drinks at cafés in Potsdam.
Data Collection Process: We interviewed baristas at multiple cafés, asking two questions per location: what their bestselling drink is, and what drink they personally enjoy preparing most. Going café to café with a tight two-question format made the process manageable as a group.
Challenges: Landing on a clear interview topic took some discussion at the start, and conducting the interviews themselves felt uncomfortable for some group members initially. For the artwork, I hand-carved my own stamps for the first time to represent the different drinks. Without access to proper linoleum printing ink, I had to improvise with the materials available, but the stamped texture still worked well for the final piece. In hindsight, the question about the barista's favorite drink to prepare was less insightful than expected, since many cafés use automatic espresso machines where the „preparation“ is just pressing a button.
4. Photography - "Desired Paths"
The second legend was my first iteration. I did a new one as shown.
Subject: Desired paths (informal shortcuts) observed in Potsdam-Rehbrücke.
Data Collection Process: I photographed 20 different desired paths and categorized them by type: paths connecting two streets directly, paths cutting 90-degree corners, paths cutting sharp-angle corners, and paths cutting shallow-angle corners. These categories were then translated into a fictional street network, with each path type assigned a distinct color.
Challenges: This session was comparatively smooth, both in data collection and in creating the final piece. Since I had never been to Potsdam-Rehbrücke before, exploring the area for the first time while collecting data made the process especially interesting.
Results
