Hybridity in the City

Conflicts about water, space, and the reactive embedding of a rainwater retention basin in Berlin-Kreuzberg

Abstract

This paper explores the concept of emerging hybrid urban realms by capturing a notion of hybridity. The focus is on a rainwater retention basin that has been transformed into a space for events and workshops by the Floating e.V., an artist-run association. Using a more-than-human perspective, this work highlights the importance of understanding the relational networks that shape our world and adopting a humble observing position to comprehend emerging modern categories in spaces like this. The hybrid spatial perspective offers an alternative to the divisions created by the poles of modernity, emphasising the interconnected system of relationships and responses. In this context, the paper discusses the Floating e.V.'s utilisation of the „three-way hybrid" and the concept of „response" in line with the perspectives of Whatmore and Latour on hybridity. The paper concludes by emphasising the need to acknowledge that conditions are continually evolving due to the actions of all participants, and a hybrid understanding of these realms offers a valuable lens through which we can better understand the complexities of our changing world.