2021,

U144 Untergrundmuseum

2021,

1995

Linienstraße

144

Berlin

10115

untergrundmuseum.de

Gießerei Sprachraum, reale Betriebsfunktion, 1995–2000, Foto: Uwe Walter

Volxmarine Revolution 1918–2018, Performance: Rainer Görß, Foto: Anja Rudolph

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”.Mangelnde Vernetzung führt zu unnötigen Konkurrenzsituationen im Kampf um Aufmerksamkeit und Fördertöpfe. Der ideale Projektraum ist/war eine Win-win-Situation für Betreiber*innen und Künstler*innen. Beide können neue Experimente starten und neue Modelle ausprobieren unter fairen finanziellen Bedingungen, sprich mit Honorar und Projektfinanzierung/Sponsoren. Projekträume haben sich auch durch Verdrängung und höhere Mieten in entlegene Kieze und Bezirke verlagert/verlagern müssen. Wir alle sind Teil eines „idealen“ Projektraums, zusammen sind wir höchst heterogen, divers und das größte zusammenhängende Ausstellungshaus in Berlin. In Berlin hat sich in den letzten zehn Jahren das Verhältnis zu Raum als einer grundlegenden Basis für unser Zusammenleben dramatisch verändert − und zwar aus der Perspektive der künstlerischen Nutzung eindeutig zum Schlechten. Der Profitwahnsinn hat die Stadt seit der Finanzkrise zunehmend erfasst; sowohl global agierende Finanz- und Immobilienhaie als auch viele mittlere und kleine Geldanleger haben Berlin und seine umbauten Räume als handelbare Ware auserkoren mit der Folge, dass die Preise dafür explodiert sind. Die Politik unternimmt dagegen leider nichts wirklich Effektives und scheint daran kaum Anstoß zu nehmen. Darunter leiden in erster Linie die sozial Schwächeren und nicht zuletzt die meisten Kunst- und Kulturschaffenden. Berlin ist im Begriff, seine Ausstrahlung und seinen Nimbus als Anziehungspunkt für experimentelle und innovative Kunstprojekte zu verlieren. Wir hoffen, dass sich weiterer Widerstand gegen diese allgemeine Tendenz gerade auch aus dem Feld der Kunst regt und Berlin weiterhin ein Ort für lebendige und kritische Kunst sein wird.Answering this question seems to be the most difficult and an endless process for me because I have to ruminate on the past decade or so in which I have gone through Berlin as a female artist, a Korean artist, the founder and chief of an Asian contemporary art platform, and a mother. Since the very beginning, I have been interested in seeking a kind of universal identity, spanning the various backgrounds of Berlin-based contemporary artists in order to examine the question of identity as it is often perceived from the outside: according to gender, nationality, and cultural milieu. So I have created a space where the dichotomous logics about those issues could be discussed, proceeding with many projects. Above all, I had dreamt of creating a self-supporting space, based on an independent profit model. Recognizing limitations in workforce, culture, and the market of the art scene, however, I have experienced some moments of great suffering. But what has enabled me to endure those moments of suffering was not money but people, so that I would answer sincerely that a project space no longer means a physical space for me. It is a non-physical space, comprising people like artists, users and agents, or sometimes a network.