The documentary 'Rocco and his brothers' reveals the radical art of Berlin artists in public space

The documentary 'Rocco and his brothers' reveals the radical art of Berlin artists in public space

Title: "Rocco and his brothers - action art in Berlin underground"

A man in dark blue dungarees with a roll toilet paper under the arm enters a blue and white painted dixie toilet. The scene, which repeats itself countless times every day in Berlin, suddenly turns into something completely different. Instead of a construction worker who pursues an intimate business, accidental passers -by see a graffiti sprayer on the way to the Berlin ground. This is the prelude to the documentary "Rocco and his brothers" and shows what the Berlin action artists call "urban mimicry".

One of the artists from the collective, who introduces himself as a "Rocco", explains: "The nice thing about Berlin is that people walk through life with blinkers - and as soon as we have a warning vest, we have a right to exist on the street." The Dixieklo stands above an emergency shaft of a subway tunnel, and the place is not chosen by chance. The Charlottenburg regulatory office is said to be right behind, where the employees regularly take smoking break. For Rocco and his collective, it is fun to play with people. While nobody looks closely when construction workers go to the toilet with toilet paper under their arms, the disappearance of a child in the hoodie in the subway tunnel leads to completely different reactions.

The documentary "Rocco and his brothers-radical action art from Berlin" is a production of the Saarland radio and can be viewed in the ARD media library by 2025. The Berlin artist collective has been causing a stir with art campaigns and installations in public space since 2016. Originally from the graffiti scene, the collective has developed further and now focuses on action art and installations. Their actions range from a symbolic grave for cheap rental prices in the Kreuzberg patch to a completely furnished room in the subway shaft to an upside-down bear flag on the roof of the Schöneberg town hall. Political issues are often the focus of the artists.

the documentation was created by working with the directors Philip Majer and Lukas Ratius from Bunkhouse Film. Over a year they led interviews with the artists, viewed archive material and filmed new scenes. The film shows a collage of various recordings that were made both by the artists themselves and by the filmmakers. The aesthetics of the film takes up the atmosphere of the graffiti scene and shows handmade camera shots, drone shots and snippets of interview, in which Rocco mostly comments on the action. The quick music contributions create an adrenaline-filled feeling that the artists experience in their actions.

In contrast to many other graffiti artists, "Rocco and his brothers" are not only about the end result, but also about the kick and the way to complete their works. They accept that not everything runs smoothly. Rocco reports that he has already been hit three times by a power line and that acquaintances have not survived some actions. Nevertheless, the artists prepare with great care. For example, Rocco measures a subway train, compares various series on Wikipedia and spends nights in the bushes to explain security personnel. He calls this "tactical finesse". The obstacle is to become larger and more complex to surpass the previous sense of achievement.

The documentary "Rocco and his brothers" not only shows the passionate art of action of the Berlin collective, but also lifts light on the importance of the design of public space. Berlin serves as a field for the artists who want to provoke and have fun with their actions. They want to draw and criticize on political issues, and the film gives fascinating insights into their microcosm.