Project Space Goethe-Institut Los Angeles

Our project space

The Goethe-Institut Los Angeles opened a new, interdisciplinary project space in the MacArthur Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The Opening Night event kicked off on Saturday, October 9th 2021.

Local guests had a chance to view the new space with a light art installation by Berlin-based collective Pfadfinderei and live music in cooperation with dublab with music sensations Teebs, Dustin Wong, DJ Kerry and E Molina. Food was provided from German Röckenwagner Bakery, local Chinese Diamond Buffet, and Latinx restaurant Mama’s Tamales.

“We very much look forward to being part of this vibrant community,” says the director of the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles Lien Heidenreich-Seleme. “We hope that through our work and the connections we make, this space will become a platform for the diverse cultures in the neighborhood and the greater Los Angeles area.”

The Goethe-Institut Los Angeles has worked together with local partners and cultural workers to conduct focus groups to better understand what the community would like the new space to be. The Goethe-Institut Los Angeles was invited to join the community advisory council initiated by the Levitt Pavilion, where they could connect to and listen to the thoughts of various initiatives and organizations in and around the neighborhood. Through this process, the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles determined to use the project space as a host for people and cultures in the area and as a platform to present projects directly relevant to the MacArthur Park/Westlake community and surrounding neighborhoods. This focus on direct cooperation with local communities is also at the heart of the Goethe-Institut's work globally. 

“It takes years, a lot of energy, and real-life encounters to establish a new space. Through local partnerships, we hope to connect with more and more people, initiatives, and organizations around us to continue to develop programs relevant to the community. We hope that we can be a space where people meet and feel welcome to interact locally as well as internationally through the Goethe-Institut’s worldwide network,” concludes Lien Heidenreich-Seleme.