2016,

Errant Sound

2016,

2010

Rungestraße

20

Berlin

10179

errantsound.net

Janine Eisenächer & Steffi Weismann, Ready Making #1, 2019, Foto: Janine Eisenächer & Steffi Weismann

Erik Smith, Titanic, Displacements, 2019, Foto: Erik Smith

It’s hard to look back on the last ten years and not get distracted by Co-Vid and the massive interruption that has caused in all aspects of life. But generally, Berlin is getting more expensive, no news there: There are less store fronts perhaps to rent for a project space than there used to be. Facebook is no longer used as an announcement tool. Do young people still flock to Berlin?There is probably no ideal project space, and that is exactly what is ideal about this format; the openness and the freedom that allows it to take any shape and direction. Project spaces are versatile structures that can be morphed in many different ways, reflecting the circumstances and the people that are part of the process. To us, a project space is a kind of utopia, although there is no fixed concept of an ideal project space. Project spaces are very much constantly evolving, changing, and adapting.The city has become more expensive overall and therefore there is less free space – there are less “Freiräume”. Our definition has not changed as a project space. The concept of an ideal space is completely dependent on what the organizers/artists/curators are interested in doing. In our opinion, there isn’t ONE type of space that is ideal which is actually what is so wonderful about project spaces in general – they are diverse, and completely different. It seems that because of the lack of spaces and the increased rents, more project spaces have turned towards commercial models. But since funding has become more commonplace in the scene, meaning it’s more common to pay artists who are involved in shows, performances, readings, events, etc. at project spaces, this has put more pressure on spaces in general to have to secure financing. We would argue that since funding has become more readily available, the structures have begun to change. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword. It’s wonderful to receive funding and be able to support artists, and as a result, the scene has become much more professional. But at the same time, it is harder in some ways to do projects more spontaneously and in an improvised fashion. This, as a result, has changed the (power) dynamics between the artists and the project space organizers, as very often the organizers are NOT funded but the artists participating in the projects are. This creates a rather awkward dynamic and as organizers ourselves, it’s frustrating for us to not be paid for our efforts and contributions to the “Freie Szene”.