Hi, I’m Steffi, a Berlin-based artist with a background in social work and art therapy (Master of Arts) from
Art Academy Weissensee. Since 2010, I’ve been working as a freelance artist in cultural education and creative facilitation.
At subcultours Berlin, I offer two unique art experiences:
🎨 BLIND DATE in Silence – a collaborative artistic team-building format for companies and groups.
🌿 Experimental Landscapes – a hands-on art experience for individuals and small groups (up to four people) in my home studio.
In this blog post, I’ll share my experience adapting BLIND DATE in Silence for a special client request.
Before: The Request
I received a message from a client explaining their needs:
"We are a community of 300 entrepreneurs, and our board of 20 people is holding a strategy meeting. As part of this, we want to strengthen our bond as a team by creating a collaborative artwork for our new community space - possibly incorporating our company logo. We have two hours for this activity."
Given the time constraints and structured agenda, I decided to modify
BLIND DATE in Silence to better suit the setting. While my usual format is conducted without words, I felt that a more interactive approach would be more effective for this particular workshop.
The Plan
- We would work on four equally sized canvases (120x100x4cm) that, when combined, would form a single cohesive artwork.
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The color palette would be based on the company’s logo colors to maintain a visual connection.
During: The Creative Process
Getting Started
The session began with a brief introduction, followed by a collective setup of the workspace, materials, and an overview of painting techniques. This hands-on preparation helped break the ice and foster collaboration right from the start.
To begin, we laid out all four canvases on the floor to create one large, unified piece. Each participant chose a color from the company’s logo and drew a line across all canvases using oil pastels. This simple act immediately created connections and overlaps, blending individual expressions into a shared artistic foundation.
Building the Artwork
Next, we paused to reflect on the piece and discuss the next steps. Some participants suggested incorporating the company logo immediately, while others preferred to continue experimenting first. The majority opted to add the logo at the end, allowing more room for creative exploration.
With acrylic paints and various tools, the team engaged in expressive mark-making, experimenting with techniques inspired by artists like
Jackson Pollok’s drip paintings. Brushes, fingers, and cloths were used to create textures, patterns, and layered compositions. Throughout the process, participants collaborated organically - sometimes coordinating, sometimes playfully interacting in shared spaces on the canvas.
Guided Reflection
I facilitated three short breaks where we stepped back to assess the work:
- What’s missing?
- How can we balance the composition across all canvases?
- What else is possible?
These moments of reflection ensured a dynamic, evolving creative process where each voice contributed to the final outcome.
After: A Collective Masterpiece
The result?
A stunning artwork that captured the team’s energy, creativity, and spirit of collaboration. The piece not only symbolizes their teamwork and shared vision but also adds a meaningful, handcrafted element to their new community space.
As the painting dries, I look forward to more BLIND DATE sessions - each with new teams, fresh questions, and exciting challenges.
Kindest,
Steffi