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From the beginning
of May to the end of July 2002 fifty young artists, designers and architects
from various European and world-wide art colleges took part in the project
"dostoprimetschatelnosti" and moved into an abandoned tower building
in Berlin-Hellersdorf to work, live and exhibit. In this industrial-built district whose buildings reflect the conflict between demolition and Pop-art new forms of working, communicating and cultural life within a so called "Plattenbau"-building were invented and created. Moreover the project tried to let the inhabitants of the surrounding suburbs participate - about 270.000 people live here. The first man in space was Juri Gagarin whereas Neil Armstrong made a big step for mankind. For the people in East-Berlin completely new districts were raised from the ground. There were dreams of big mines on the moon and a WBS-70-flat with three bedrooms and central heating. Dreaming from Utopia was widespread. Common were the dreams from exploring the space as well as from living in far better conditions. Planning for a better living: The new role of the working woman should find its counterpart in the flat`s groundplan. Residential areas were planned in a way that the children had to cross only a minimum of streets on their way to school. Whoever got a flat here was a lucky one: The flats were not available on a free market but assigned to the people. Nowadays times have changed: Landlords have great difficulties to find new tenants especially for tower blocks even if they are refurbished. The demolition of empty tower sometimes blocks seems to be the only solution to this problem. At the same time these buildings are used as locations for advertising campaigns (Coca-Cola and F6 cigarettes). A "Plattenbau"-card game has been developed and the "Plattenbau"-issue finds its way into the culture section in big newspapers as in Süddeutsche Zeitung and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The question
today is: Is there any use in the "Platte" today? The eastern suburbs of Berlin present themselves as a suitable location for a new "space project" as dostoprimetschatjelnosti (russian word for sights). For each of the participating painters, sculptors, architects, communication- and product-designers dostoprimetschatjelnosti offers a chance to preoccupy themselves with so called "Plattenbauten" and the direct try-out of their ideas at the location. Modern suburbs made of concrete are common across many European cities from Amsterdam to Warsaw, Paris or Kiev. From the eleventh floor of such a modern building, from the border between eastern and western Europe new points of view towards a new Berlin could be created. Dostoprimetschatelnosti links up with the tradition of pragmatic use of vacant buildings by arts and culture and the constructive teamwork of businesses and art in Berlin. Not only because of the unused event location this project will be outstanding. It will also include the people living there and has a very experimental character. We will invent and live new forms of possible working and living in high-rise flats. Additionally there will be two events each week (concerts, lectures and exhibitions). The two towers
in which the project took place are located in the district of Berlin-Hellersdorf
at Hellersdorfer Straße 171-173. Both were built in the late eighties
and intended to be residential buildings - but history would have it that
no one would ever pack out his suitcases in order to dwell upon here.
Instead the district´s residential office took place here and finally
left in 1998. Since this year the houses were abandoned. The flats are
in a good condition. The infrastructure is still intact. Due to no technical
supervision the working permittance of the lifts has been invalidated.
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INSTITUT FUER RAUMFRAGEN 2004™ |
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