Open space prosess, Leipzig, Germany

Hooray! I was accepted as a participant to a fabulous open space prosess in Leipzig, Germany called Platforma11. It lasted from September 10th to September 19th, 2011.

Valerie Waldow, a positive, energenic, smart, superaware and superpolitical German woman told me about the underground in Berlin and Leipzig. She told about massive coalissions between culturally active people of numerous disciplines. That, exactly that, is the sort of activity that I am the most interested in. The more the merrier! She was working on a new experimental project with an international network, reflecting on the topics “art, politics and education” and their relationship to one another. I wrote an application. It was accepted.

The fascinating thing about Leipzig is that it once was a city of more than 700 000 peolpe, but that number got reduced to half after the wall fell. Their chemical industry couldn’t compete in the new market. It collapsed. So half the city is empty!

Actually, not anymore. People have steadily been moving to Leipzig for the well organized sub-culture, and the affordable prices.

Anyways, Platforma11 is a direct, spontaneous collaboration between about 60 participants from mostly European countries but also some for critical zones as Israel and Egypt. There were intellectuals, punks, artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians, sculptists and activists of the interesting kind. We had met before on the internet-site of Platforma11. We divided as we wanted into five groups.*

I had a videosport project that I could do as a default, so I was recommended to join the theatregroup. I loved their location in the heart of the underground. A massive joining of buildings, like a fortress almost, occupied by a strong group of people creating a kind of welfare system. They took care of eachother in many ways. I didn’t feel compatible with the groups plans, but I met someone: Yvo Warmers, a historian, rapper and anarchist from Dresden. We left the group together and formed the …? fraction of the group.

After a day of  brainstorming and dicussions, we decided to make a film about problems. What is the greatest problem of all? Our capitalistic system. We made a documentary about it.

Participating in this process changed me. Not only the film we made but the whole constant interaction with everyone. It was political, provoking, wierd, utopian and conciessness-expanding. We should build solidarity together throughout Europe.

I wish to go to Leipzig and open a new studio!

This is a sketch that Falk, one of the participants, made about how an open space process could be organised. Sadly in lo-res (not my photo).

Here is a little video I put together with the material that was on my camera when I got home.

*Living on the edge: a public space project in a youth center and a museum in the park of Markkleeberg, Network, Theatre/improv. An artspace as an interactive sculpture: an artproject in a little gallery called Praline. Building Networks: Exploring netbuilding and creating a Platforma 11 network in two magical places called EEG and konsoom. The mysterious open – stage – forum – theater meets…? theatregroup in Gieszerstr. 16. How to exhibit an open process? Eternal reflection on our process, also a forum for massive discussions in the cool  AundV Gallery