Ernst Reuter Platz in Berlin is a prime example for the “automotive city”. The title of the project is derived from the description of the place on Google Maps: “Lawn and fountain in the centre of a roundabout”. This space, designed for cars, not pedestrians, becomes the setting for an exploration. Through the act of walking in circles and observing the space, we created collective poems that reflect the divide between those who are motorized and those who are not. The project process unfolds in several iterations:

1 – Walking in circles with the flow of traffic — trying to get familiar with the cars and those who drive. Endless stream of cars, stream of consciousness. We take notes and share our reflections with each other, in a circle.

2 – Walking against the flow of traffic — going incircles against the stream until the police interrupts our seemingly suspicious activities on an island in a sea of cars. Again, we take notes and share in a circle.

3 – Shared notes are transcribed into a poem, one that can be expanded by others through small cards.

4 – Favorite lines are chosen and and painted on signs.

5 – Finally, we stand in a circle on the roundabout holding the signs — a poem for the cars, for the people inside the cars, for those who drive in endless circles.