Lockdown Journal: Dortmund Edition [Travelogue 01]
Wednesday 20th October 2021 | 09:09am Eurostar: London St Pancras - Brussels
Today, I depart for the Industrial Rhineland of Westphalia, specifically the city of Dortmund for an exhibition entitled ‘Meine Welt Auf Corona’ (My World On Corona). I must begin though with something of a shameful admission. As I approach the last five months of my forties and prepare for the moment at which I reach half a century on this planet, I confess that I have never travelled further than London on my own. In my mind have travelled but the reality is somewhat different.
[BasementFM Common & The Last Poets: The Corner]
Whilst I have been to various places abroad over the years, I have never actually travelled alone as I am doing today. If I am honest, which I am going to be, this has been a conscious decision. Whilst I always loved the idea of travelling I have always been somewhat afraid to do so. Over the last ten years I have travelled to the USA and Sweden in my guise as BasementArtsProject, but for those projects I worked and travelled as part of a small group. Today, it is just me.
[BasementFM Kanye West: We Don’t Care]
It felt adventurous to me, leaving the house at 4am with a small suitcase and my backpack; heading for Leeds Station to get a Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels and then onward to Dortmund. After months of procrastination, using coronavirus as an excuse, I finally took the step and signed up for the project. ‘Meine Welt Auf Corona’ is an exhibition that looks at how artists have dealt with the coronavirus lockdown, and the world that people might wish for as we are released into each others company again.
BasementArtsProject will be presenting a film as part of this event depicting elements of our programme from across the first decade of our existence, and how we have dealt with not being able to bring people together physically for exhibitions and events.
[BasementFM Robert Glasper: Always Shine feat. Lupe Fiasco and Bilal]
10:22am Lille
The train is pulling into the station at Lille, France and I am feeling a bit more awake. I have to admit, I think I slept the majority of the journey between Leeds and London as it seemed very short. I did manage to do a bit of reading mind you.
Bruxelles > Liege > Aachen > Köln
Wi-fi was a bit rubbish on the Eurostar so had to pack the computer away and stop working for a while
[BasementFM Basic Channel: Inversion, Aphex Twin: #1, Atari Teenage Riot: Sex 12” mix]
30mins in Köln, enough time to get a Cold Brew Coffee and a Caprese Panini
Köln > Dortmund 15:30
Over the next five days, I shall be using this experience to report on the progress of the project in the pages of the Studio Journal. The only thing I wish for right now is that Debs and the kids could be here to share this adventure with me, but sadly the economics do not allow it. I’m not sure they would be up for it anyway, I think my anxiety over travelling, even in the UK, gives them anxiety too. They are probably lucky to not have to travel with me.
Destination Torhaus.
I decided to go overland from the UK to Germany, favouring the lower carbon form of transport despite it being a nine hour journey. Köln is mask central and it turns out that my face covering is not good enough, so they give me a paper surgical mask. I do wonder about the environmental consequences of such things as disposable PPE, especially in the quantities that it is currently being used. ‘Meine Welt Auf Corona?’
Bruce Davies