Lockdown Journal: Dortmund Edition [Travelogue 02]
My initial encounter with Silvia Liebig came through her involvement with another Leeds based project. Artists House 45 is a project run by East Street Arts in South Leeds, about five minutes away from BasementArtsProject. The fact that these two long term projects exist side-by-side, and with a degree of overlap, in what could be described as a culturally impoverished and economically disadvantaged area such as South Leeds, gives me hope for the future.
Thursday 21st October
Today is my first full day in Dortmund. I am staying in the studio of Silvia Liebig just on the edge of the city, about fifteen minutes walk from the centre. My navigational fears are slowly being dispelled as I make my own way around the city using the tram system. Occasionally, I turn on my roaming data to ensure that I am heading in the right direction, but in general I am finding my way quite easily. I have said it before and I will say it again, I would really love to live in a city that has a tram system.
The city streets do not seem to be very busy with cars. There is a hire system for electric scooters, they are everywhere and people just leave them parked at the edge of the pavement. Bikes are also popular. Dortmund feels like a city with an environmental conscience.
On Facebook I am seeing a lot of posts at the moment about the lack of food on supermarket shelves and shops running out of things, with the naysayers arguing that either there is no shortage or that it is happening all over the world. I think those people really need to get there stories straight. Having shopped for food last night in a local supermarket I can honestly say that I am not really seeing it here!
It has been a political year for art at BasementArtsProject. Whilst Emergence was an exhibition that was ostensibly about sculpture there was also an environmental edge to it as well. Also, the fact of it happening out of doors could be seen as a political act as the government prevented everybody from gathering in doors. At the moment at which we were able to gather in doors, we promptly staged an exhibition that had been talked about for at least a year that looked at the ill-gotten gains of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, and other associated issues. 2020 and 2021 has been a period of political turmoil and this has definitely been reflected in the nature of the work that many have put forward.
One of the most important things in the world of independent art in the UK right now is to ensure that networks remain open, alive and vibrant with activity. After working with Silvia Liebig in 2019, during her stay in Beeston as part of the Artists House 45 project, we made tentative arrangements to work together again in the future. We talked about arranging an event and/or exhibition at BasementArtsProject. Then, Covid . . .
Our programme of events, in place by the end of 2019, gradually moved back, and back, and further back until the programme is now situated mainly in 2022. I am really pleased to say that all of the artists scheduled to present work through BasementArtsProject agreed to the suggested postponements. Things are still up in the air but it feels like things may be moving again now.
The feeling that politics will continue to dominate in art at the moment persists as our next project lined up at BasementArtsProject will tackle yet another issue, this time that of Brexit.
PM
Back here in Dortmund, I have spent the day getting equipment so that I can charge my electronic goods, yes I did not have a UK to German adaptor, and working at the Torhaus. Today we were visited by a photographer who made some short films of us advertising the show. What with the language differences and my extremely poor memory the situation was quite a funny one. The show is up except for that of one artist, currently in transit with her work from Austria.
Whilst I waited for the Torhaus to be opened for us, I took a walk around the park that surrounds the venue. Romburg Park is apparently and internationally known botanical garden. Different areas of the park seem to be landscaped and planted with the flora of different regions of the world. I spend a while sat in Kanada listening to the wind blowing through the streets around me. Elsewhere a non-native breed of geese, Nile Geese apparently, chill out on the edge of a lake, letting out a raucous synchronised quacking as an elderly dog saunters past looking confused by their fuss.
Evening
After an afternoon spent updating the Basement website at Silvia’s home, we head out to meet Maria Hanl and Christiane Spatt from Austria who have been delayed by an approaching storm. After taking them to their hotel I decide to take a wander around die stadt bie nacht.
#BasementFM #playlist Die Stadt Bie Nacht
Alva Noto: Xerrox Phaser Acat 1
The Bug feat. Liz Harris: Void
Baconhead: Foreign or Domestic
Nils Petter Molvaer: Merciful (Herbert’s We Mix)
Ben Frost: No Sorrowing
Zane Trow: Arcade
Svalastog: Pine Solution
Gold Panda: You (Worriedaboutsatan mix)
Burial: Street Halo
Autechre: Ipacial Section
Alec Empire: 37.2 pt II
Ringo Deathstarr: So High (Worriedaboutsatan mix)
Zane Trow: Initled
Chuck Persons: Nobody Here
Brian Reitzell and Roger J Manning Jr: On The Subway
Alec Empire: SuEcide
Knar: Hollie (Live Dec 99)
King Midas Sound Aroo