Our Story
It all started in 2022 with a shared belief: Everybody has stories that bridge divides and spark meaningful conversations. 3 friends, storytellers, artists, activists yearning for something more. We wanted to create encounters where people could connect and discover the beauty of human connection. Our first encounters were humble, often taking place in unexpected corners of Berlin like a local café, park or club, exploring diverse communities. These encounters confirmed our belief: People's stories have the ability to touch hearts, challenge assumptions, and inspire action. Then came our first projects where we transformed our ideas into a tangible vision. Today, we continue to explore and push boundaries, while maintaining our mission to connect people and create a more inclusive world.
Our Approach
We are dedicated to collecting and sharing fragments of human stories.
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As story-tellers and story-collectors, we create various encounters to spark dialogue, challenge assumptions, create meaningful connections and inspire action.
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We focus on community building, collaborating with co-creators, organizing events, producing digital media, conducting interviews, documenting and archiving, and transforming what we collect into various new forms.
Our Team
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We are a diverse group of individuals who bring unique perspectives and skills to our collective. We believe in the power of collaboration, and are always open to new ideas and perspectives. ​
Asya Birsel is the creative soul of encounter.lab, ​bringing a dash of brilliance and a touch of chaos to every project. With a knack for capturing the essence of human experience, Selim Hill adds a depth of empathy and a provocative challenge to every encounter. Building bridges between encounters, Can Haykır combines everything together with his contagious energy.
 daria-writing |
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 setup |
 tafel |
 hayrigosteri |
 jamsession |
 architecture |
 architecture2 |
 setup4 |
 canasya-writing |
 writing |
 steffi-writing |
 mischa-derin-selim |
 greenscreen |
 ege-singing |
 drafting |
Our Work
​Our collections serve as a source of inspiration, not just for us but for others as well.
We’ve transformed our encounters into a variety of creative expressions, including exhibitions, installations, podcasts, documentary poetry, videos, theatrical monologues, and performances.
Each project is a testament to our commitment to preserving the ephemeral and making it resonate with a broader audience.
We aspire to be the modern-day bards, capturing and narrating the stories of our time.​​