"lluzletrzhnwer"
— Stadt KölnAbout me
David Nil Morsi is a curator, urban designer, and moderator based in Berlin and Cologne. With studies in urban design and related disciplines in Cologne, Düsseldorf, Rio de Janeiro, and Lisbon, he works at the intersection of art, culture, and urban development. He develops cultural infrastructures, transforms vacant spaces, implements interventions in urban space, and brings together actors who rarely sit at the same table to collaborate on the future of urban spaces. He conceived and coordinated the intermediary and strategic interface work of Cologne's Kulturraummanagement and served as chair of Urbane Liga e.V. and member of the Jugendforum Stadtentwicklung of the BMWSB. He coordinated the cultural interim use of Cologne's Ebertplatz, accompanied the cultural transformation of Hallen Kalk, and conceived INNENSTADT IS NOT DEAD together with TH Köln and other partners. He is currently accompanying the long-term development of Floating University Berlin and realising experimental urban laboratories and urban interventions in Germany and beyond. He also moderates and conceives panels, symposia, and vision processes for municipalities, cultural institutions, urban practice initiatives, club culture, and more.
Focus Areas
- Project Management and Coordination
- Curation of Arts and Cultural Programmes
- Strategy and Implementation of Urban Transformation Processes, Real-World Laboratories, Urban Interventions, and Vision and Organisational Development
- Moderation, Mediation, Lectures, Podcasts and Keynotes
Career
INNENSTADT IS NOT DEAD
TH Köln, Stadt Köln, Studio Quack
Co-initiation, implementation, and curation of a research cooperation as a real-world laboratory of an interim use with urban interventions, festival programme, university course, and interdisciplinary summer school
Laden:Lokal:Labor ongoing
ANWR Group & Klubhaus Agentur
Co-initiator, curator, and process moderator for developing pop-up interventions and strategies for inner-city and retail transformation
City as a stage ongoing
Goethe Institut Skopje, Arch+, AKTO FRU, University of Skopje
Curator, moderator, and speaker at the conversion of a former cinema into an interdisciplinary neighbourhood space for art and performance
Floating University Berlin ongoing
Floating e.V., Raumlabor et al.
Advisor, curator, and speaker for the long-term development of the award-winning nature-culture learning site at Tempelhofer Feld
Teaching in Cultural Education & Urban Development ongoing
Kulturgetriebe e.V.
Lecturer in cultural education and Kulturraummanagement
Transformation Project Osthof Hallen Kalk
Dez. Stadtentwicklung Stadt Köln & Belius GmbH
Intermediary work and process support in the transformation of the former industrial site
Kulturraummanagement
Dezernat Kunst & Kultur Stadt Köln
Development of an integrated action concept for an intermediary team at the interface of administration, arts and culture scene, politics, and property owners
David Nil Morsi – Freelance project-based work ongoing
Klubkomm, AboutPop Festival, Goethe Institut, Clubcommission, BBSR, Stadt Essen et al.
Project management, curation, strategy and implementation of urban transformation processes, moderation, lectures, and keynotes
Urban Space Management
Dezernat für Stadtentwicklung, Planen, Bauen & Wirtschaft Stadt Köln
Coordination of the interim use of Ebertplatz with artistic interventions, participatory programmes, and community-based processes
Kulturgenerator
Kölner Kulturrat
Curator of a solidarity online art platform during the COVID-19 pandemic
Say Wuff!
Academy of Media Arts Cologne (KHM)
Assistant director for the award-winning short film
Catalytic Communities / Rio on Watch
Catalytic Communities
Journalistic research, photographic and textual documentation of urban practices during the 2016 Olympic Games
Education
M.Sc. Civic Design – Architecture with focus on Urban Planning
Peter-Behrens Art School Düsseldorf / DE & ISCTE Lisboa / PT
Grade: 1.5
M.A. Urban Culture, Society and Space
University of Duisburg-Essen / DE
Grade: 1.5 (courses completed)
B.Sc. Geography, Urbanism and Social Sciences
University of Cologne / DE & Pontifícia Universidade Católica (PUC Rio), Rio de Janeiro / BRA
Grade: 1.7
Allgemeine Hochschulreife / Abitur
Celtis-Gymnasium Schweinfurt / GER
Engagement
Jugendforum Stadtentwicklung (BMWSB) & Urbane Liga e.V.
Co-founder and former chair of Urbane Liga e.V. and member of the Jugendforum Stadtentwicklung (2018–2022). Advising national urban development policy through conferences, publications, and direct collaboration with the Federal Ministry.
Niehler Freiheit e.V.
Co-initiator of a bottom-up collective transforming a vacant car workshop into a third space for art, craft, and social projects.
Awards
Floating University Berlin
Ammodo Arch. Award '25, New European Bauhaus Prize '24 & EUmiesaward nominee '24
Say Wuff!
Sitges Film Festival Best Short Movie '24, Flensburger Filmfesttage Bester Film '24
Zwischennutzung Unser Ebertplatz
Polis Award nominee '20
Scholarships
- DAAD full scholarship for study abroad in Rio de Janeiro
- Kölner Gymnasial- und Stiftungsfonds Scholarship
- Scholarship »Junge Kunst & Neue Wege 2022«
Languages
German
Native (C2)
English
Fluent (C1, TOEFL >100 points)
Portuguese
Good knowledge (B1/B2)
Arabic
Heritage language (B1/B2)
Spanish & Italian
Basic knowledge
Latin
Großes Latinum
Contact
