Strong places
“ Strong Places - Art in the Revier ” was an art project by artist associations of the Ruhr Metropolis as part of the RUHR.2010 Capital of Culture year .
In this project, 16 artist groups from the Ruhr area came together for the first time to organize cross-disciplinary exhibitions in alternative venues in 2010.
Origin and concept
The “Strong Places” project began in the summer of 2007 on the initiative of the Bochum artist association. The background to this was the intended participation in the RUHR.2010 cultural activities. From the basic idea that “in the interplay of different arts such as music, dance, drama and visual arts, a very special place should be played and its peculiarity should become part of the work of art”, the term “strong place” was created.
The idea that there are many such “strong places” in the Ruhr area gave rise to the idea of getting in touch with artist associations or associations in other cities in order to create a network of places where artistic activities can be simultaneous or different Times could take place. In response to an appeal by the Bochum artist association, 25 artist associations initially expressed their interest in participating in such a project. After several meetings with representatives of the associations, it was decided to develop a joint project and to work out concepts for special activities, installations and performances for the respective “strong places”.
Goal and impact
For the first time in their history, the artists' associations of the Ruhr area appeared as joint actors in the “Strong Places” project. The network project created a network of places which "through their architecture, history and function represent something typical for life, work and culture in the Ruhr area". Through the interdisciplinary interaction in different exhibitions, the individual exhibition locations were revitalized through artistic interpretations.
The exhibition series ended on October 2nd, 2010 in the former training facility in the Witten switch factory with a finissage and a catalog presentation. In addition, numerous project participants took part in a review and outlook.
In addition to opening up previously neglected places, the project has another effect. The networking of the artists' associations should continue beyond 2010 with the aim of a mutual exchange of experiences. The declared aim of the organizers is to remain active as a network across local borders in the future, to provide information about activities and to work on joint projects.
Exhibitions
For their total of thirteen “Strong Places” such as old industrial plants and bunkers, a church and the direct confrontation with public space, the artist associations developed unusual artistic interventions, installations and performances. The first joint exhibition began in the Sodingen air raid shelter in Herne and ended in December 2010 in Dortmund. Other exhibition locations for the project were in Bottrop, Duisburg, Bochum, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Witten, Unna and Lünen.
Places and project descriptions
1 - Turbine hall Bochum
The “strong place” of the Bochum artist association is the turbine hall on the former site of Friedrich Krupp Hüttenwerke AG, today's Westpark. There, about 30 artists showed works related to the location on an exhibition area of 700 m².
- Date: 2. – 30. May 2010
2 - Malakow tower Prosper II colliery, Bottrop
The Malakow Tower , built on the Prosper II colliery in 1872, is a monument to industrial culture . The adjacent Holy Cross Church has not been used as a parish church since 2008. In terms of the networked project “Strong Places”, there were similarities between the winding tower and the church. The title “ora et labora” opened up associations, motivation and opportunities for artistic discussion and design.
The project was managed by the Bottrop Artists' Association.
- Date: 11. – 30. April 2010
- Kind of objects Malakow Tower: pictures, sculptures (inside and outside), installations, sound space
- Type of objects Holy - Cross - Church: pictures, video installations, sculptures (only inside), installations, sound space
3 - Phoenixhalle Dortmund
The Phoenixhalle was built in 1905. Since the renovation work was completed in 2003, it is now available as an event exhibition hall with an area of around 2000 m².
The project management was carried out by the amalgamation of the Dortmund artist associations (Dortmund group, Westfälischer Künstlerbund Dortmund, BBK Ruhr area, BBK Westphalia)
- Date: April 11–9. May 2010
- Type of objects: series, sculptures, pictures, installations
4 - Atelierhaus Westfalenhütte Dortmund + wall project
The Atelierhaus Westfalenhütte is located on the factory premises of Westfalenhütte Dortmund . Since 2006, one of the many buildings on the site has been used as a studio house, which, in addition to the gallery with its own exhibitions, also attracted attention by participating in events such as the Extra Shift and the Dortmund Museum Night.
Another place for art education was the wall. Every day, hundreds of workers and employees move along the long wall on the edge of the site, who are on the move to change shifts - the theme for the artistic work along the wall.
The artistic association for RUHR.2010 was the idea of “city within city”.
The project management was carried out by Brigitte Bailer and the Duktus group - artists in the RuhrRevier.
- Planned date: house and garden May 30–30. July 2010; Wall March 21 - December 2010
- Type of objects: paintings, sculptures, installations and video
5 - Historical office building Dortmund-Mengede
The 105-year-old listed office building Mengede has been available again since January 2010 after a complete renovation with expanded usage options. A concept called “FREIRÄUME? Germany's Dark Years - Departure into the Light ”.
The project management was the Federal Association of Visual Artists (BBK) Westphalia.
- Date: May 14th - May 6th June 2010
- Type of objects to be exhibited: painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, installation, free
6 - Duisburg North Landscape Park
The Landscape Park Duisburg-Nord is an industrial area of around 230 hectares around the disused ironworks in Duisburg-Meiderich, which the Nordpark interest group had campaigned to preserve. For RURH.2010, with the support of IG Nordpark, the outdoor area was used for the exhibition of large sculptures, large sculptures and installations. Thematically it was about the tension between industry - nature - art. Art gives the place a new meaning and experience and vice versa.
The project management was carried out by the Duisburger Künstlerbund.
- Date: April 30 to mid-September 2010
- Type of objects: installations, large sculptures, large sculptures
7 - Scheidt'sche Hallen and worsted spinning mill, Essen
The Scheidt'sche worsted yarn spinning mill with wool flooring once belonged to the Scheidt'sche cloth factories in Kettwig, the largest local employer at the beginning of the 19th century. In the former Lisseuse of the factory 36 artists showed their work. Exhibition subtitle: Span.
RKB Essen, Gedok NRR, WBK were in charge of the project.
- Date: April 24th – April 30th May 2010
- Type of objects: installations, objects, painting, video, performance, dance, literature
8 - Gelsenkirchen high bunker
The coal and ore bunker is a relic on the site of the former Schalke Club in Gelsenkirchen. Due to its size and massive structure, it could not be dismantled. In the outdoor area, the areas in the upper concrete strip that were not accessible to vandalism due to their height were used. This band has a height of 4 m and a length of 235 m, divided into 27 segments on one side and 14 segments on the other. In each of the 41 segments, an artistic work was attached to mesh fabric measuring 3 × 3 m.
The project management was carried out by the Gelsenkirchen Artists' Association.
- Date: June 19–28. November 2010
- Type of objects: outdoor work
9 - Sodingen air raid shelter, Herne
In the immediate vicinity of the Sodingen Academy, the air raid shelter dominates the cityscape. As part of the Capital of Culture year, a complete exhibition was realized with the participation of all artists' associations of the “Strong Places”.
The project management was carried out by the Herner Künstlerbund.
- Date: March 6th – 4th April 2010
10 - Lippeauen, Lünen
In cooperation with the BBKs Westfalen and Ruhrgebiet as well as the culture office, a land art project was developed for the year of the Capital of Culture, in which temporary and permanent objects were installed along the banks of the Lippe and in the estuary of the Seseke . The opportunities to stage actions on the river were also used.
The project management was carried out by the artist group Acht (Lünen).
- Date: 6-12 September 2010
- Type of objects: temporary and permanent LandArt objects
12 - Former training facility for turnouts, Witten
The former training workshop of the Federal Railway Turnout Factory in Witten was built around the turn of the 20th century. The building was used as a training workshop until 2000. The ground floor, main room and smithy were available for the “Strong Places” project. Under the project title "Art (Weichen) Werk", various artistic projects were realized in the two halls that related to the location and the former task as a training workshop and the economic change in the Ruhr area.
The Witten Artists' Association was in charge of the project.
- Date: August 15–30. September 2010
- Type of objects: installation, objects, painting, video, performance, dance, theater, literature
partner
"Strong places" is a project initiative of the Bochum artist association with the partners:
- Artist Association Bottrop,
- Association of Visual Artists Westphalia,
- Duktus Group & Atelierhaus Westfalenhütte,
- Dortmund group,
- Westfälischer Künstlerbund Dortmund,
- Federal Association of Visual Artists Ruhr Area,
- Duisburg Artists Association,
- Ruhrland Artist Association Essen,
- Gedok Niederrhein-Ruhr,
- Work group of visual artists,
- Association of Gelsenkirchen Artists,
- Herner Künstlerbund,
- Artist group Eight Lünen,
- Art requester Unna,
- Witten Artists Association
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Individual evidence
- ↑ Homepage Starke Orte ( Memento of the original from March 11, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Book two, p. 58.
literature
- European Capital of Culture 2010 - Book Two
- Flyer "Strong Places"
