Even though COVEN doesn’t have our own project space (although we are thinking about getting a studio …), we make space, mainly for our queer community in Berlin and online. We make space to come together, meet each other, talk about stuff, and laugh. We try to pay as many queers as we can to make art with us. To think about art, to question art. Art for us has always been about creating community and offer alternatives to worn-out narratives. We like art for its world-making capacity.Es ist wichtig, die Räume als freie, unabhängige Räume zu sichern und dies nicht unmittelbar an eine spezifische, lückenlose Konzeption oder einen wie auch immer definierten Erfolg zu knüpfen. Aufgeschlossen gegenüber wirklich offenen künstlerischen Prozessen und aufgeschlossen im Sinne einer nicht normativen Plattform für künstlerische Experimente können die Räume nur sein, wenn es Förder- und Sicherungskriterien gibt, die nicht einer bloßen Markt- und Verwertungslogik folgen. Austausch, Resonanz und Verknüpfung sind wichtige Momente – wie kann ein wirklich solidarisches Miteinander der Projekträume aussehen, bei dem es nicht um Konkurrenz und Profilierung gegeneinander geht?To run a space is a form of appreciation of other artists, it is an outcome of friendship and mutual understanding; it is an indication of trust between all involved. To run a space means to take responsibility. To run a space is not only self-organization – money may not be vital to put up a show – but it is for sure necessary to animate a space and keep it alive. The prize comes due to hard and merited work, but maybe a grant would be more befitting than a prize? Maybe an iron scaffold holding up a structure in advance is better suited than a gold star for accomplishments? To run a space is a full time job. A group of artists who share their enthusiasm, interests, time, and skills would impart a project with a larger circulation of assignments between the makers. I am convinced that the longevity and success of a space relies on a horizontally organized (net) work.