Artist Sonya Schönberger‘s work explores biographical ruptures in the context of political and social transformations. At the core of her practice are conversations with individuals who share their personal life stories, which serve as the primary source of her artistic inquiry.
These encounters result in both newly created archives and works that incorporate pre-existing or found archival materials. One of her central projects is Berliner Zimmer, initiated in 2018, a long-term video archive based on the narratives of people living in Berlin.
As Archive Fellow of the Künstlerhaus Bethanien, she engages with the institution’s history. Building on her project Berliner Zimmer, she develops a series of interviews with artists who have participated in the International Studio Program, remained in Berlin after their residency, and continue to shape the city’s cultural landscape. The conversations are integrated into the “Berliner Zimmer” archive, expanding its existing collection and bringing into focus a range of artistic trajectories in Berlin. At the same time, they reflect on the role of residency programs in shaping individual artistic and professional pathways, as well as on the specific cultural conditions of the city.