Strategies to Overcome Automatic Thinking comprises semantic text fragments, presented as site-specific billboards in 13 cities in the Ruhr Area. They challenge the perception and interpretation of the concept of urban space – not only as a location but also as a dynamic, ever-changing network of relationships, sensations, as well as interactions.

The text fragments consist of short combinations of words, typically three to five. They play with the function of their medium and engage with the fluidity of language, where a direct or universal interpretation of meaning is not possible. In some cases, words are used in slightly unexpected ways, thereby unfolding further possibilities for interpretation (for example, Grenzübergang innerer Räume). Rather than offering fixed meanings, the works invite curiosity and reflection within an ordinary setting – one in which everything is otherwise taken for granted.

Here, the term “border” (Grenze) is examined and presented as a constitutive element in the formation of both the individual and society. It addresses everyday subjective experiences as well as the physical dimension of borders – for instance, when one crosses the city from point A to B, enters a train station, or passes by a building. The aim is not to provide a definition or an answer, whether negative or positive, but rather to offer a reflection from both an individual and a collective point of view.

The conception of the text fragments takes as its starting point the large population of immigrants living in the Ruhr Area – myself among them*. It explores how one experiences urban space, language, transport, bureaucracies, social welfare, financial security, education, and more. The project, of course, is not intended solely for a specific group but for everyone. This led me to shape and reflect on combinations of words and formulations that could resonate with both immigrants and natives alike.

The typography, and to some extent also the background, used here remain deliberately neutral (sachlich) so that the focus does not drift away from the concept and interpretation.

This project was made possible through the generous sponsorship and support of @kruppstiftung Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Stiftung as part of the funding programme “150Jahre Villa Hügel – 150 Projekte für das Ruhrgebiet”

Realized in public spaces across 13 cities in the Ruhr region, the project culminates in a publication bringing together academic essays that explore and reflect on the meaning of borders.

*I was born into a family of Japanese and Italian immigrants in São Paulo, lived for almost fifteen years in Dublin, and have been living in Germany since 2019. These experiences have shaped my interest in, and critical engagement with, the multifaceted concept of borders.