B-LA CONNECT is an initiative to promote the cooperation and connection between the two sister cities’ creative communities.

In June 2019, 20 art spaces from Los Angeles exhibited in 22 art spaces from Berlin. The interdisciplinary program included art exhibitions, film screenings, performances, talks, and more. This July, 2022, the Berlin art spaces travel to LA for a return visit with staggered openings throughout the city in 22 different art spaces, including a film night at the Goethe-Institut LA, and a performance evening on the rooftop of The Bendix Building.

B-LA CONNECT sees itself as an international cultural exchange at a grass roots level. It brings together members of different art spheres and scenes from both cities. New opportunities for interacting and connecting with each other are created and extended locally and transnationally. Promoting positive globality, B–LA CONNECT seeks to advance the cultural partnership between Berlin and Los Angeles.

B-LA CONNECT wants to celebrate urban diversity and stand against reactionary forces. Berlin and Los Angeles share the urban self-image of being a place of cultural diversity and individual freedom. In light of the rising authoritarian and regressive currents worldwide the two cities stand for a liberal and cosmopolitan openness towards the world. The goal of B-LA CONNECT is to build bridges where others erect walls.