DExZA - word art between Johannesburg and Berlin is a literary exchange project between two cities, exploring contemporary aesthetics in the fields of poetry, performative poetry and hip hop. It takes up the impulses of artists from Johannesburg who based on a long tradition cross and mix genres very naturally, producing interesting new creations in the process.

2 poets, 2 rappers and 1 musician from Germany will travel to Johannesburg where they will meet  2 poets, 2 rappers and 1 musician (their local counterparts). In workshops, these artists will have the opportunity to explore connecting factors. The aim - to translate, to make music and create across genres. The artists seek a counterpart whose lyrical works, performance or content they are interested in and transfer them into their own language and art form.

 South African poems turn into German rap lyrics and German spoken word poetry flows into South African poems or rap lyrics. Within the framework of events the audience in Johannesburg will not only have the opportunity to gain insights into the poetry, spoken word and music scenes from other cultures. Instead, the audiences will experience cultural transfers and cross-genre exchanges. In addition, a recording studio will be available in Johannesburg and all of the work will be documented photographically.

A project by No Boundaries e.V. and Word N Sound Festival. In cooperation with Literaturwerkstatt Berlin and the South African Embassy in Berlin. Sponsored by Heinrich Böll Stiftung. Financially supported by the German Foreign Office/German Embassy Pretoria, Goethe- Institut Johannesburg, Goethe-Institut Head Office Munich, Berliner Künstlerprogramm des DAAD.