Railway Stories - Artistic Research of the Train Journey

Discover the creative potential of train travel!

Many people travel by train on a daily basis. But what if the everyday train journey becomes an extraordinary experience along the railway tracks?

In this two-week intensive course, we examine, analyse and discuss research practices of train travel – both in theory and in practice. The focus will be on everyday journeys as well as on working together to design a practical and theoretical framework for developing our own (art) projects, inspired by these journeys.

Synchronizing the world through the train schedule

Trains synchronized the clocks worldwide. This influences our experience of space and time – back then until today: "On one hand, the railway opened up new spaces that were previously not easily accessible, and on the other hand, it did so by destroying space, namely the space in between points, or the travel area" - Wolfgang Schivelbusch, historian.

Improve your spatial thinking & apply effective documentation techniques

In this workshop, we will analyse this travel area in more detail, using different practices of observing. With the help of various media, we will document our train journeys through Thuringia with all its facets: the actual travelling with regional trains as well as the typical waiting periods in between.
The course program also includes visits to exciting places such as out-of-use industrial sites or former signal towers of the Deutsche Bahn, offering us a new, different perspective on railways. In addition, we will deal with inspiring art and educational projects regarding train travel and welcome guests who will present their relevant.

Expand your artistic portfolio

In the second week, you will develop your own projects and (art) work based on the observations and documentations you have made so far. You are free to choose the forms and media that fits your purpose: from photo, video or drawing, text or sound to concept or architectural models – everything is possible. At the end of the course, we will have the opportunity to present and discuss our work during a public exhibition.