About-en

Welcome to KONTEXT LABOR BERNAU!

KONTEXT LABOR BERNAU is conceived as a place of encounter and exchange between residents of the town Bernau bei Berlin and young international artists. The title of the project emphasizes its strong dedication to the local area as well as its passion for experimenting. The cultural office (Kulturamt) of the town Bernau bei Berlin and the Institute Art in Context at the Berlin Art University have been developing this ambitious project since October 2013. The project explores the potential of participatory, temporary and interventionist artistic approaches in urban social space. Nine artists from eight different countries, all of whom are studying Art in Context, engaged themselves with local history as well as with the (life) stories of residents. Since May 2014, the artists have been researching and working with people on-site creating related artworks. These are to be seen in the form of exhibitions and actions on different sites in the town from 14th September to 7th November. The international sculpture symposium „Steine ohne Grenzen Bernau“ in 2011, the sculpture project „Artist in Residence“ in 2012, and the opening of the „Skulpturensammlung der Waldsiedlung Bernau“ in summer 2013, has led the town administration to extend their focus on redefining Bernau's public space. Through this very collaboration with the Berlin University of the Arts, the town administration continues its long-term project „Art in Bernau“. Moreover KONTEXT LABOR BERNAU is a valuable extension to the teaching and research facilities of the Institute Art in Context. The project is an important opportunity to deal with the ramifications of lively processes of research, reflection and discussion. These processes are anchored in urban space and society, and reflect upon the production and mediation of artworks in a very specific social space. Unlike Berlin, the urban space of Bernau is of a manageable dimension, and yet unspoilt. The town's open, unoccupied spaces allow artists to conceive and manage projects and in doing so position themselves in relation to this situation. These spaces are to be creatively shaped by artists and Bernau citizens together. Furthermore, the artistic contributions shall help to understand the art in public space as art in the public interest.

Overview of the Projects Workshops, performances and warm-up events are taking place from May to mid-September. Every Friday, Bernauer residents had the opportunity to meet American artist Alexis Hyman Wolff in the Kantorhaus. Together with residents, a participatory museum has being formed, with personal objects and their accompanying stories. In several apartments in Bernau-Süd, residents together with the Bosnian artist Jelena Fuzinato, created a further temporary art museum. A writing workshop took place from June to July at FRAKIMA with the Austrian poet Christoph Szalay. Women over 60 are currently taking part in the project „Frauenbilder Bernau“ from the Chilean artist Valentina Utz. The project deals with the role of women from a historical perspective and hopes to convey the life experiences of elderly women to younger generations. In August, the British artist Jonathan Ryall is talking to people on the street about their ideas of art. A group of students from the Barnim-Gymnasium Bernau is developing a documentary project with the Dutch artist Alien Oosting on the history of a GDR apartment block (Plattenbau). The project was inspired by the demolition of the Bernauer Altstadt at the end of the 1970s and the entire redesign of the city centre. From mid-September, an intervention by the German artist Lisa Schwalb will encourage local residents to take part in a speaking and listening art action in the public space. In addition, an installation by Greek artists Malvina Pangiotidi and Giannis Delagrammatikas on the subject of witch-hunting will be shown at Henkerhaus (Heimatmuseum Bernau). (August 2014)

FINISSAGE

You are invited to the finissage of the project KONTEXT LABOR BERLIN on Friday, November 7, 2014 at 11 a.m. in the Kantorhaus, Tuchmacherstraße 13, Bernau bei Berlin. A neoghborhood party will follow at 8 p.m. in the back yard of the housing block An der Mauer 4, entrance Berlinerstr. 43-53, Bernau bei Berlin. >>> mehr

OPENING

The opening of the project KONTEXT LABOR BERLIN took place on Sunday, September 14, 2014 at 11 a.m. in the Kantorhaus, Tuchmacherstraße 13, Bernau bei Berlin. We visited different art projects spread throughout the town of Bernau. We started with guided tour in the presence of the artists in the Bernau old town. At 2:30 p.m. we moved to the south of Bernau. A green area located at Fahrradweg/Saturnring hosted our picknick and program including music, a reading, a performance and again guided tours, this time through an exhibition spread in apartments in Bernau-South.

Opening Program

Leaflet with a map >here

EVENTS/PROGRAM >here

1
Jenseits der Gegenstände: Ein Museum im Kantorhaus

Kantorhaus, Tuchmacherstraße 13, Fri.-Sun. 1-6 p.m. >>>more

2
An der Stadtmauer, Videoportrait eines Plattenbaus

Mühlentor, Mühlenstrasse/Am Henkerhaus
cortyard project-party & videoscreening, October 24, 2014, 8 p.m. >>>more

3
AM HENKERHAUS 1, 16321

Henkerhaus, Am Henkerhaus 1, Opening hours: Tues.- Fri. 9 a.m. -12 p.m. and 2 - 5 p.m. , Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. , program >>>mehr

4
ICH HABE MEINE WUNDEN WEISS GEZEICHNET

Klementstraße 10/Angergang, Wandfläche/Giebelseite Feuerwehr installation accessible at any time >>>more

5
GOING PUBLIC

Stadtpark, greenfield direction Johanna-Schule, exhibition and on going projekt, workshop >>>more

6
SO SPRECHE ICH MICH LOS – SITZGELEGENHEITEN

Steintor, September 13-22, - Stadtpark, September 22 - November, 7; program >>>more

7
FRAUENBILDER BERNAU

September, 14 Bernau-South 3 p.m.; September, 18 Markplatz, 3 p.m.; September, 21 Kirchplatz, 12 p.m.; September, 27 Bahnhofpassage, 3 p.m.; program >>>more

8
Museum Bernau-Süd

Kantorhaus, Fri.-Sun. 1-6 p.m, several locations in Bernau-South, >>>more

***
HG BACKSTAGE - Projektdokumentation und -reflexion

Hrafnhildur Gissurardottir, curatorial assistent >>>more

i
KONTEXT LABOR BERNAU INFOPUNKT BERNAU-SüD

Diakoniewerk Barnim gGmbH, Migrationsberatungsstelle Bernau, Orionstraße 10 Mo 9-12 Uhr und Do 13-18 Uhr, 14. September 10-18 Uhr

E
Opening 14. September 2014

11am: Kantorhaus, Tuchmacherstraße 13, 2.30pm: greenfield next to a bicycle road and Saturnring >>>more

F
FINISSAGE

Kantorhaus, Tuchmacherstraße 13 7. November 2014, 19 Uhr.