July 3, 2012 | EXCHANGE

Huddled around their laptops, students converse in small groups on the top floor of the building in Marienstraße. They look exhausted from the past eight days – over 30 degree temperatures, the hard work of constructing and disassembling the installations, and the creative process all took their toll. Nonetheless, they also appear elated at how their project was received in Athens.

On 11 June 2012 the group travelled to Athens to complete an eight-day project titled »EXCHANGE«. Sofia Dona, alumna of the master's degree programme »Public Art and New Artistic Strategies« and a DAAD prize winner, came up with the idea for the project after discovering an ideal venue for artistic interventions in the vacant Broadway shopping arcade in the district of Kipseli. The Greek architect and artist presented her proposal to the professors and students of the degree programme, and all were very interested in pursuing it further.

In contrast to what the name might imply, the »Broadway« shopping arcade is an image of bleakness – empty corridors and aisles, vacant shops and cinemas, and a theatre which closed its doors long ago. The once glittering facade of the former shopping paradise and centre of cultural life is crumbling – in more ways than one. Not all that long ago, Kipseli was one of the »better« districts in the city. Even the theatre inside the arcade had quite a good reputation back then. But when the government made seafront property available for construction, the affluent inhabitants moved away, which led to the demise of this shrine of consumerism. Today, Kipseli has become a social hotspot where diverse cultures clash with one another.

Planning and carrying out the project turned out to be quite a challenge. By means of video conferences, e-mails and phoning back and forth, the artists in Greece and Germany prepared for their joint actions. But first, they had to overcome several difficulties – English was used as a bridge of communication between the languages, cultural differences were translated and explained, and even the trip itself formed a bridge between both countries. As soon as they arrived on Monday, the artists immediately got to work, as everything had to be well-planned and prepared.

On Friday the programme began with lectures, workshops and discussions. Sofia Dona had not only succeeded in getting Greek artists to participate, but also invited architects and theorists to build a bridge between the disciplines. »It was important to us to be on location,« explains Anke Hannemann, artistic research associate of the degree programme. »Greece is in a politically volatile situation at the moment and is worried about being pushed further to the fringe of Europe. It was fascinating to talk with the Greeks about their views. And the Athenians definitely showed a desire to engage in political discourse.«

By the following Monday, everything was ready. On 18 and 19 June 2012, the Broadway arcade opened its doors to reveal a total makeover. Some 25 performances, interventions, installations and actions breathed new life into the abandoned building. The visitors included people of all ages and from all walks of life. Regardless if they were artists, scholars or craftspeople, everyone was intrigued by what they saw and eagerly discussed the evocative artworks and actions.

Hannes Neubauer, for example, offered the service »Mastoras Amesis Drasis«, which literally means »Craftsman Ambulance« or »Craftsman Emergency Doctor«. The concept was simple and convenient – by making a telephone call, Hannes would come around and repair whatever was broken. Donning red overalls and equipped with an emergency toolbox, the artist went out into the city looking for customers. He repaired stereo systems, mended a tricycle, patched up holes in walls. In return for his service, the customers had to write down their ideas in Hannes’s book about how best to »repair« Greece. He then displayed photos of his jobs and copies of the entries in his book in his storefront in the shopping arcade.

Using some props from the old theatre and discarded interior furnishings, Federica Menin, an exchange student from Venice, built two islands made of chairs, windows, tables and other miscellaneous objects. A sign nearby informed the visitors that the »Island« was a place of constant change and urged them to make alterations as they desired. In this way, the architectural design would spontaneously change like two sculptures in metamorphosis. At one point, a local resident brought some of her own props and added them to the installation. She had used the two pieces of furniture in a performance more than ten years ago and was happy to have finally found »a place for her things«.

On Tuesday night, everyone immediately started taking things down. The Broadway shopping arcade shed its new outfit and the students from Weimar returned to Germany. Now at temperatures well below 30 degrees and gusts of wind pelting the rain against the windows, the students on the top floor of Marienstraße are now sharing something else with each other – anecdotes, impressions, memories and photos.