Shared Voices – Kämpfe verbinden

public installation
initiated by Felix Almes as a collective work with Tobias Fabek, Nike Kühn and Aaron Pfersdorf

Part of the Art Go East Biennal




· technique ·

communal work; collection; installation


· material and tools ·

demonstration banners, needle & thread, mounting materials


· description ·

For the ArtGoEast Biennale 2021, the site-specific project “Shared Voices – Kämpfe verbindenn” was developed in the east of Leipzig, a city of the former GDR. The installation refers to social and political problems that are visible in the neighborhood and aims to create an exchange and discussion about them.

The vibrant area close to Eisenbahnstraße is a rapidly changing environment of different sociocultural groups. On one hand, there are people who have been living there for their entire lives, on the other hand there is a growing population of first up to third-generation migrants as well as young, well-educated students. In addition, the ever present police cars make for a highly charged mix.

Since years the press like to mark this area as one of the most “dangerous/criminal/worst” streets of germany.
In this area we chose to show an installation in public space in which we collect and assemble banners with different political statements. In long discussions within the collective, the possibility of realizing a thematic exhibition within the framework of the ArtGoEast Biennale was debated. Initially, we looked for an option to present our individual artistic positions in the exhibition space. We approached the project by asking questions about the possibilities of equal participation of the individual human in the democratic system, about the function and responsibility of the individual towards society, about strategies of mutual exchange as well as the role of art.

After many considerations the decision was made to collect banners with political slogans which were to be seen in the past time at Leipzig house fronts. This was followed by walks, visits and conversations through the streets of Leipzig. Thereby, cooperations with house projects as well as other politically active groups were formed. Current and older banners were borrowed by our collective. These banners were returned to the owners unaltered. They were not cut up, painted or changed in any other way.

Our artistic work aims to connect these many fragments of voices and paroles. In deciding to put on display political statements of others instead of showing our own artworks, we created a polyphony of voices, topics and demands. In appropriating these voices, questions arise of: who speaks? To whom, about what, in what context? Who gets heard?

In the process of making the work, we came to reflect our role within it. How are we entitled to appropriate the banners and show them as our own artwork? How come some topics are significantly underrepresented within the demands of the banners? To what extend are we responsible for the selection of slogans? These questions were debated within intensive discussions.

The banners, which are quite formative for the Leipzig cityscape, were sewn together and concentrated on the outside walls of the biennale site Garage.Ost, in order to relate make a symbiosis with to the architecture of the building. Consequently, the exhibition was not taking place in the interior space, but was taken outdoors onto the crossroads of Hermann-Liebmann/Konradstraße, where it was made accessible for a public that is not generally part of the regular art exhibition crowd. Reactions of the people passing by were generally positive. Many came to stand in front of the building to take pictures and some stayed to strike up a conversation about the slogans or related topics.

Shared Voices – Polyphony

audio installation
in cooperation with Aaron Pfersdorf

Part of the symposium Polyphonie - Vielstimmigkeit, Ambiguität und Mehrdeutigkeit aus interdisziplinärer Perspektive




· technique ·

collection, installation, audio-collage


· material and tools ·

fabrics, needl and thread, voice recordings, digital prints, booklet


· description ·

follows soon

Mi casa, a broken relation und ich

interactive audio installation

Part of the exhibition The topic is more or less housing




· technique ·

audio / video installation, virtual walkable


· material and tools ·

laptop, godot engine, photo, recordings


· description ·

As a contribution to the HGB Rundgang in 2021 and due the uncertainty of the pandemic.
The class for Intermedia, led by Alba D'Urbano decided to build an online exhibition and worked on its implementation throughout the semester.

Annika Stoll, Bernhard Bormann and I worked in a small team on the technical realization of the project.
My task was to create the basic architecture and virtual interactivity. For that i used an open-source engine called Godot. It fitted the best way my agenda and the projects needs and it was a fork of the legendary idtech engine of Quake 3 Arena. So i had a lot of fun to feel like a computer game constructor.

The exhibitions theme (as well as the title) was 'The topic is more or less housing' and strongly related to the Corona lockdowns and trying to mentaly survive in his own apartment.
Due the technical work for the group, i hadn't that much time left to work seriously on an own work. My work concentrates on a sound file. Its a recording of my voice listing up furnitures, devices and other things of my flat. The underlaying atmosphere is made of recordings of my oven, burning wood, of my chair, of the public in front of my windows and some random arte reportages about aristocracy and property.

For the sound collage, I had built a simple spherical architecture on which a modified photo rotates with the subject visible from my window. The visitors were able to move freely on a circular platform inside the sphere and listen to the audio work.

Von Freiräumen

proclaim performance

Part of the exhibition Archivio_Performante
curated by Alba D'Urbano and Tina Bara




· technique ·

performance


· material and tools ·

body, notebook, voice


· description ·

The demands of all the demonstration banners of the collective work Shared Voices – Kämpfe verbinden were proclaimed in the entrance area of the German Federal Administrative Court.
The performance started by leaving the court building and steping some steps down. There the 80+ demands were proclaimed. The performance ended by entering the building.

This performance was one of the last stations of the procession of Archivio_Performante.
Archivio_Performante – was the final project of Alba D'Urbano's professorship at Acadmey of Fine Arts Leipzig. Togehter with Prof. Tina Bara and an open seminar group, they developed this exhibition within the summer semster 2021.

Based on a long term cooperation between Alba and Tina as well as several exhibition projects of their classes focusing on the concept and meaning of archive, an idea of a public performance formed out. After much discussion about this idea within the seminar, the exhibition focused on a procession through Leipzig's city center with various stations for individual performative works and ended in front of the art acadmey.

Lyrische Skizze

A performative procession through the inner city of Leipzig

Part of the exhibition Archivio_Performante
curated by Alba D'Urbano and Tina Bara




· technique ·

collage, object, performance


· material and tools ·

demonstration banners, needle and thread, wood, body


· description ·

This object is a collage made of parts of demonstration banners. The title translation 'lyrical draft', combines the content of this piece. Various demonstration banner demands were reduced and shortened in order to condense their meaning and connect overlapping aspects of different social conflicts. The banner was carried and shown while a performative walk. This procession was part of the following exhibition.

Archivio_Performante – was the final project of Alba D'Urbano's professorship at Acadmey of Fine Arts Leipzig. Togehter with Prof. Tina Bara and an open seminar group, they developed this exhibition within the summer semster 2021.

Based on a long term cooperation between Alba and Tina as well as several exhibition projects of their classes focusing on the concept and meaning of archive, an idea of a public performance formed out. After much discussion about this idea within the seminar, the exhibition focused on a procession through Leipzig's city center with various stations for individual performative works and ended with the hanging of the banners outside the windows of the art academy. There they remained for some days.

Die Welt ist rund – Sonntagsgespräche auf der Fußgängerbrücke

performative experiment
with Anna Barth

Part of the Art Go East Biennal




· technique ·

intuitive performance in public space


· material and tools ·

body, voice, chalk


· description ·

A performative talk and open exchange about the borders of this world.

The Turin Horse
in cooperation with Franziska Vallentin





· technique ·

audio performance, video still, digital graphic


· material and tools ·

Yoshimi softsynth, flutes and microphone with variouse materials.


· description ·

This is a spontaneously improvised session with franny franatic.

In memory of Nietzsche and a sad horse.

Tiles of gentrification – Tile 1

Oil painting

studio




· technique ·

oil painting on stone, 9.8 x 9.8 (cm)


· material and tools ·

tile, pigment, oil color, brush


· description ·

The materials :
found oil color – opaque white @hgbleipzig (verschenkeecke)
found oil color – cyan blue (pirmary) @hgbleipzig (verschenkeecke)
found pigments – green @hgbleipzig (verschenkeecke)
found brush @hgbleipzig (verschenkeecke)
found tile @spinnereileipzig (garbage containers)
stones from my flat (gained through wall breakthroughs)

Wall openings realized from 2012 - 2015
An open-ended lease with a square meter price of EUR 1.65
Since 2019 the homeowner has been trying to dissolve the contract and kick me out
The court rejected his claim in a first instance on October 21, 2021

Tiles of gentrification – Tile 2

Oil painting

studio




· technique ·

oil painting on stone, 9.8 x 9.8 (cm)


· material and tools ·

tile, pigment, oil color, brush


· description ·

The materials :
found oil color – opaque white @hgbleipzig (verschenkeecke)
found oil color – cyan blue (pirmary) @hgbleipzig (verschenkeecke)
found pigments – green @hgbleipzig (verschenkeecke)
found brush @hgbleipzig (verschenkeecke)
found tile @spinnereileipzig (garbage containers)
stones from my flat (gained through wall breakthroughs)

Wall openings realized from 2012 - 2015
An open-ended lease with a square meter price of EUR 1.65
Since 2019 the homeowner has been trying to dissolve the contract and kick me out
The court rejected his claim in a first instance on October 21, 2021

Tiles of gentrification – Tile 3

Oil painting

studio




· technique ·

oil painting on stone, 9.8 x 9.8 (cm)


· material and tools ·

tile, pigment, oil color, brush


· description ·

The materials :
found oil color – opaque white @hgbleipzig (verschenkeecke)
found oil color – cyan blue (pirmary) @hgbleipzig (verschenkeecke)
found pigments – green @hgbleipzig (verschenkeecke)
found brush @hgbleipzig (verschenkeecke)
found tile @spinnereileipzig (garbage containers)
stones from my flat (gained through wall breakthroughs)

Wall openings realized from 2012 - 2015
An open-ended lease with a square meter price of EUR 1.65
Since 2019 the homeowner has been trying to dissolve the contract and kick me out
The court rejected his claim in a first instance on October 21, 2021

schoolyard propaganda

Oil painting

studio




· technique ·

oil painting on canvas, 70 x 52,5 (cm)


· material and tools ·

ash of wood and coal, oil, brush


· description ·

Phrases that appeared as memories of my school time.
The phrases were used as a kind of jokes in the talkings on schoolyard. They were very strange and deeply racist.
I wondered where the children got that from? And whether they knew the meaning of what they had said.

du bist nicht gott

Oil painting

studio




· technique ·

oil painting on canvas, 70 x 52,5 (cm)


· material and tools ·

ash of wood and coal, oil, brush


· description ·

This is dedicated to my house owner and his doings from September - December 2021.
Turning off the water supply from 6pm-10am each day.
Turning off the energy supply multiple times.
Installing chains and locks on the house trash cans and not giving me the key.
Destroing my stuff infront of my door.
Insulting me when he sees me in the house or yard.
Spitting in my face.
Trying to hit me.

…just to get me to cancel the lease.

With this painting i tried to get rid of my aggressions.

urzeit creature iii




· technique ·

collage


· material and tools ·

various papers, cutting tools, glue


· description ·

This piece resulted from exercises happened in Paule Hammer's seminar, held in winter semester 21/22 at Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig.

urzeit creature ii




· technique ·

collage


· material and tools ·

various papers, cutting tools, glue


· description ·

This piece resulted from exercises happened in Paule Hammer's seminar, held in winter semester 21/22 at Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig.

urzeit creature i




· technique ·

collage


· material and tools ·

various papers, cutting tools, glue


· description ·

This piece resulted from exercises happened in Paule Hammer's seminar, held in winter semester 21/22 at Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig.

The bane





· technique ·

dry-point etching, 17.5 x 11.6 (cm)
printed on Hanhnemühle Echt-Bütten, 27.6 x 20.2 (cm)
series of 2


· material and tools ·

metal, needle


· description ·

Das Übel
will nicht gehen

Hallo – Abhandlung fehlgeschlagen

fragments of darkness – fragment 27





· technique ·

dry-point etching
on self made paper; deformed; ~20 x 30 (cm)
artist proof edition only


· material and tools ·

metal, needle


· description ·

This graphic belongs to the 3rd block of the series fragments of darkness.
Thematically, the attempt is made to analyze, organize and present the research complex of the investigative journalists around Sebastian Erb and Daniel Schulz.
In 2017, this team of journalists began researching and uncovering deep connections between German secret services, military institutions and right-wing terrorism.

fragments of darkness – fragment 28





· technique ·

dry-point etching
on self made paper; deformed; ~20 x 30 (cm)
artist proof edition only


· material and tools ·

metal, needle


· description ·

This graphic belongs to the 3rd block of the series fragments of darkness.
Thematically, the attempt is made to analyze, organize and present the research complex of the investigative journalists around Sebastian Erb and Daniel Schulz.
In 2017, this team of journalists began researching and uncovering deep connections between German secret services, military institutions and right-wing terrorism.

fragments of darkness – fragment 29





· technique ·

dry-point etching
on self made paper; deformed; ~20 x 30 (cm)
artist proof edition only


· material and tools ·

metal, needle


· description ·

This graphic belongs to the 3rd block of the series fragments of darkness.
Thematically, the attempt is made to analyze, organize and present the research complex of the investigative journalists around Sebastian Erb and Daniel Schulz.
In 2017, this team of journalists began researching and uncovering deep connections between German secret services, military institutions and right-wing terrorism.

fragments of darkness – fragment 30





· technique ·

dry-point etching
on self made paper; deformed; ~20 x 30 (cm)
artist proof edition only


· material and tools ·

metal, needle


· description ·

This graphic belongs to the 3rd block of the series fragments of darkness.
Thematically, the attempt is made to analyze, organize and present the research complex of the investigative journalists around Sebastian Erb and Daniel Schulz.
In 2017, this team of journalists began researching and uncovering deep connections between German secret services, military institutions and right-wing terrorism.

fragments of darkness – fragment 31





· technique ·

dry-point etching
on self made paper; deformed; ~20 x 30 (cm)
artist proof edition only


· material and tools ·

metal, needle


· description ·

This graphic belongs to the 3rd block of the series fragments of darkness.
Thematically, the attempt is made to analyze, organize and present the research complex of the investigative journalists around Sebastian Erb and Daniel Schulz.
In 2017, this team of journalists began researching and uncovering deep connections between German secret services, military institutions and right-wing terrorism.

fragments of darkness – fragment 32





· technique ·

dry-point etching
on self made paper; deformed; ~20 x 30 (cm)
artist proof edition only


· material and tools ·

metal, needle


· description ·

This graphic belongs to the 3rd block of the series fragments of darkness.
Thematically, the attempt is made to analyze, organize and present the research complex of the investigative journalists around Sebastian Erb and Daniel Schulz.
In 2017, this team of journalists began researching and uncovering deep connections between German secret services, military institutions and right-wing terrorism.

Falsche Freunde

Ein Essay über Wahrheit, Wirklichkeit und Realität, den Wahn und die Kunst




· technique ·

writing; digital


· download ·

→ Falsche_Freunde.pdf


· description ·

This essay is written in german language.

It is an examination that results from the artistic examination on the topic of corona deniers and skeptics and could be read as a continuation of the body of work Corona Leugner, which began in 2020.