Expression Journeys

CottbusBeats is an Indian dance group from the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus (BTU).

"Our members are versatile dancers with extensive knowledge of various traditional and modern Indian dance styles. The group consists primarily of BTU students, but also includes a number of alumni.

We have performed at numerous Indian cultural events in Cottbus and at BTU – as well as at city events such as the New Year Festival, Kleb A Sol, the City Festival, Boomtown Cottbus, the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, and many more.

Our passion is dance. We believe that dance is not only an expression of talent but also an important medium for bringing our Indian culture closer to a wider audience. Our goal is to spread joy and bring cultural diversity to the city."

The Sound of Carpets is an ongoing project by Unknown Carpets, shaped over years by the daily rhythm of the looms in Rajasthan. The gentle hum of spinning wheels, the cadence of knotting, and the soft rustle of trimming form a living soundscape that Unknown Carpets continuously captures in a growing collection of field recordings.

"The beautiful fragment #94 we received is part of a replica made in Rajasthan — our place of origin, and the place where we create our own carpets. As we unwrapped it, we imagined the missing parts of the fragment: the sound — the sonic atmosphere of the moment and place where it was once created."

Colombian composer Rafael Llanos dismantles the textile masterpiece into "sonic shards" — haunting duduk melodies interwoven with piercing electronic distortions. What was once knotted in wool now vibrates as pure frequency. The dragon awakens: not as a static image, but as a living energy suspended between ancient heritage and digital chaos. A meditation on time, memory, and what keeps cultures breathing across centuries.

Fragment #65 travelled from Berlin to the English countryside — and sparked the first ever creative collaboration between a couple. When performance artist and poet Uta Baldauf and flamenco guitarist Craig Sutton heard about the carpet project over pasta and wine, something clicked. The result is Teppich — a meditation on the word itself, on layers of time, spilled drinks, prayers, and the stories woven into every thread. Two languages, two art forms, one fragment: a piece of carpet that quietly asked what it means to sweep things under the rug — and what happens when you don't.

Fragment #23 found its way onto the stage as part of LANGE SCHATTEN (LONG SHADOWS), a scenic workshop production by the Voice/Opera department of the Berlin University of the Arts, directed by Prof. Lars Franke. The fragment came to life before a live audience at UNI.T — the Theatre of the Berlin University of the Arts.