Auszeichnung
künstlerischer Projekträume
und -initiativen

singuhr e. V.

1996
Initiative
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.In the early years, we were not thinking so much about accessibility to our exhibitions and events in a physical sense of venues without elevators or events without translation, but also in a digital sense. For many years, our online magazine hadn’t been accessible for screen-readers for people with poor vision or the blind, or keyboard navigation for people with mobility issues, for example. Getting there was a journey, and I think we would now start from a more accessible place. I would want local politicians to make their funding applications more accessible, not only in terms of able-ism, but also in terms of all forms of discrimination, e.g. proof of citizenship, applications having to be written in German. I wish that they would give a universal basic income to everyone (not just citizens), open their borders, and make healthcare free, free for everyone.Art has the unique ability to help us expand our imagination and the way we think about the world. By bending the lines of logic and ­rational approaches, it offers a gateway to our collective unconscious and provides a terrain where everything is possible, hence pushing our thinking process forward. We see art and artists as seismographs for changes in society. There is also great freedom in art, addressing big and timeless questions that are independent of current economic and political realities and interests. Art can be a space for utopias, or for histories outside of history books. Art is important because it keeps us going through the difficult and dark times. Art keeps us alive.