Radikels

Radikels is a fictional multidisciplinary art collective conceived for the purpose of this article. Emerging from Berlin in 2012, the group brought together visual artists, performers, and technologists to explore urban space and social issues through immersive installations and digital media.

The core lineup includes Lena Hartmann, Jonas Voss, and Mica Tanaka, with a rotating roster of collaborators drawn from street art, theatre, and design. Their work often blends projection mapping, sculpture, and live performance in public or semi-public sites, aiming to transform ordinary environments into sites of critical reflection.

Key themes include urban inequality, climate justice, and collective memory. Materials are typically salvaged or recycled, and productions emphasize inclusive audience participation, with free workshops and open rehearsals.

Notable projects include Fractal Alley (2015), installed in Dresden’s old factory complex; Echoes of the Street (2018), a mobile performance across Hamburg; and The Quiet Uprising (2020), an interactive VR experience presented in several cities. These works toured urban art festivals and gallery spaces, often accompanied by participatory programs.

Reception and impact: critics described Radikels as provocative and visually striking, though some installations faced logistical challenges in public spaces. The collective has been credited with influencing municipal arts programs to sponsor site-specific works and with inspiring emergent groups that blend art, technology, and community engagement.

Radikels is frequently cited in discussions of contemporary urban art that integrates social critique with participatory practice, and it is used in teaching about interdisciplinary collaboration in art pedagogy.