Auszeichnung
künstlerischer Projekträume
und -initiativen

A TRANS

2006
Vitrine U-Kleistpark
(U7)
Berlin
10783

ARLA performance, A trans Vitrine U-Kleistpark, 2019

Mareike Lee, Slapback, A trans Pavilion, Hackesche Höfe, 2009

The word “project space” is almost misleading to me. Projects do not have to take place in spaces. Radio shows, Instagram takeovers, and outdoor screenings are also projects. To focus on the aspect of space itself is to take a narrow view of what could – and is – happening in Berlin at the moment. The ideal project space would come with a budget for production and overhead costs. Ideally, also the curators ought to get paid.… But definitely key words such as “project space”, “artist-run”, “grassroots”, “laboratory”, etc. are still good key words (to be constantly re-discussed) that underline the spirit and intention of such open experiments that somehow can only function as open experiments! A free interactive and inclusive format to create, express, and ex­change interdisciplinary ideas with spontaneous, playful, DIY approaches; having access to and exchanging various physical spaces to manifest all facets of what independent cultural production can unfold – also in the sense of creating social awareness and responsi­bility due to the fact that every single participant, no matter the “role” or “title” is deeply aware & involved in the process of making things happen, sharing responsibilities and profits (if there are any 🙂 … Investors and businesses assumed the form of faceless international partnerships with enormous capital and devouring public resources deciding on the future of all citizens, delivering less and less social protection and consideration for cultural and social diversity.Heute wie damals würden wir die Bedeutung des Raumes selbst als primären ­Einfluss auf die Art der Initiative betonen. Das bedeutet auch, dass eine andere räumliche Konfiguration möglicherweise ein ganz anderes Ergebnis hervorbringen könnte. Wir würden immer noch empirisch und experimentell vorgehen und das Projekt lang­sam aus seinen Versuchen, Fehlern und Glückstreffern entstehen lassen. Von der Politik wünschen wir uns mehr Unterstützung beim Thema Immobilienspekulation und bessere Gewerbeverträge. Die Herausforderung nach Corona ist es, neue Situationen der Geselligkeit zu schaffen, die offen und sicher zugleich sind. Das ist kein Ziel, sondern eine Voraussetzung für unsere zukünftige ­Existenz.