Dialogical Structures
2018–2023
With Ina Römling / HEFT.
Initiated during a residency at PACT Zollverein.
The Dialogical Structures are a toolbox for the spatial testing of discussion formats. In experimental settings, spatialized hierarchies are examined in order to develop new typologies and negotiation formats. The mobile architecture has been shown at the following locations, among others, and has thus developed further in each case: at the choreographic center NRW, PACT Zollverein, as a dialogical format for the exchange of the artists in residence present; as a framework for various workshops to develop the idea of a neighborhood parliament (e.g. at the Innovative Citizen Festival in Dortmund and at the conference of the German Society for Design Theory and Research at the HfG Karlsruhe); as a mobile festival center as part of the Hamburg theater festival Hauptsache frei 2021, 2022 and 2023 at Kampnagel, Kunstverein Harburger Bahnhof, Lichthoftheater, Monsun, Sprechwerk and Kraftwerk Bille, among others.
Dialogical Structures at Lichthof Theater during the theater festival Hauptsache frei 2022. Photo: Juha Hansen.
Dialogical Structures at Kunstverein Harburger Bahnhof during the theater festival Hauptsache frei 2021. Photo: Torben Körschkes.
Impossible Library
2020–2022
With Ina Römling / HEFT, Die Brueder, Annika Dorau, Nina Prader.
Funded by Elbkulturfonds, Ministry for Culture and Media, Hamburg.
→ https://www.impossiblelibrary.com/de
Conversion of a former butcher‘s shop into a space for cultural events and discussions. The new “balcony” houses a magazine library with over 1000 publications and a reading corner. The ground-level area remains deliberately flexible: for two years, we have invited artists, theorists, and bookmakers for events and residencies. The focus was on questions about the relationship between publishing and society and the role of libraries and archives in the digital age. In collaboration with the guests, numerous new approaches to organizing the magazine library were developed. The events were open to the public and free of charge. The practice of publishing, which for us is explicitly a practice of exchange, was also taken up in terms of space organization: With weekly opening hours and the offer to the neighbors to use the space as a reading room outside of the events. All invited artists were asked to create a hand-held device that enabled an individual entry into the collection. The hand-held devices were exhibited separately for several weeks in specially designed displays.
Guests and artists in residence, amoung others: Abdul Dube, Anne König, Caroline Kapp, Claudia de la Torre, Enrico Floriddia, Julia Nitschke, Leonhard Hieronymi, Loulou João, Si-Ying Fung.
Work space of the Impossible Library. Photo: Torben Körschkes.
Aron Rossman-Kiss at Impossible Library. Photo: Torben Körschkes.
Anne König of Spector Books at Impossible Library. Photo: Ina Römling.
Denken des Dazwischen, Poetik des Medialen
2022
With Frieder Bohaumilitzky and Petja Ivanova.
Conference design for Germany Society for Media Science, German Society for Aesthetics, HAW Hamburg.
A conversation between me and Frieder Bohaumilitzky on the inbetween will be published soon.
In contrast to the conventional setting for lectures and symposia, the space here consists of five islands and the spaces between them. Visitors are assigned an island at the entrance where they can take a seat. The distribution is random and takes place anew on both days of the conference. Speakers and moderators are also assigned a place so that listeners and speakers are mixed. There will be approximately 15-minute breaks between the presentations, providing plenty of opportunity for internal exchange. The islands are provided with drinks (coffee, water) during these breaks so that nobody has to leave their island. (Of course, people have resisted this strictness and have exchanged ideas between the islands). On the central island, a circular gray carpet and a standing or sitting table is available for the presentations and panels - depending on your needs. Speakers can take a seat here for individual presentations and a whole group for discussions. Snacks are available in the lobby during a longer lunch break.
A central island for speakers and discussions. Photo: Stephan Kraus.
One of the islands of the conference setting, made of logs and garbage bags. Photo: Stephan Kraus.
Audience sitting within the banners marking the sea-island. Photo: Stephan Kraus.
HEFT Archive
2018–ongoing
Following soon.
HEFT Karolinenstraße
2016–2018
Following soon.