New Ecologies – Kunst Sammlungen Chemnitz, Germany

NEW ECOLOGIES
Gegenwarten II

On Friday, 21 June 2024, at 5 pm, the exhibition NEW ECOLOGIES. Gegenwarten II next to the Kar Marx Monument. All project locations are accessible free of charge. Please note the opening hours of the Kunstsammlungen am Theaterplatz, the Museum Gunzenhauser, the gallery rooms of the Klub Solitaer, the University Library, the Public Baths, Chemnitz Open Space and the underground parking at Theaterplatz.

The city of Chemnitz has been shaped by its history as an urban centre of industry and workers, and as a centre of textile production and mechanical engineering. ‘Saxon Manchester’, as the city has commonly been called since the 19th century, is a reference on the one hand to the cityscape with its factories and chimneys, and on the other, to the resultant pollution of smoke
and grime. The region, which lies at the foot of the Ore Mountains, has, moreover, been one of mining since the 12th century. In 1948, the Soviet-German company Wismut, one of the largest uranium producers in the world, had a head office moved to Chemnitz. At that time, the name ‘Wismut’ was associated with the idea of being on the brink of a new society, of entering the nuclear age, but also with the Cold War and the exploitation of people.

Today Wismut is committed to cleaning up the legacy of its former activities, while Chemnitz reflects on its native son Carl von Carlowitz, who is regarded as having invented the concept of ‘sustainability’. Hydrogen research and the search for alternative construction materials are becoming important focal points in research at the Chemnitz University of Technology. This chequered past makes Chemnitz the ideal place for a public art project with the theme of art and
climate.

The battle against the climate crisis has become multifaceted and is being fought on countless fronts around the globe. Cultural sectors have also been
involved in the climate crisis discourse for quite some time, focussing on our diverse environmental problems. As a social mouthpiece, culture has a strategically
important voice in drawing attention to the dangersof the climate crisis. NEW ECOLOGIES aims to make the climate crisis visible and bring the global discourse to a local level through artistic interventions by both internationally renowned and also young artists, as well as Chemnitz initiatives. In addition, discussions on socio-politically charged topics will be held in order to raise awareness and develop prospects for the future.

Artist: Irwan Ahmett und Tita Salina +++ atelier le balto +++ Begehungen e.V. Chemnitz +++ Forensis/Forensic Architecture +++ Claire Fontaine +++ Tue Greenfort +++ Haubitz+Zoche +++ Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden mit Klasse Nevin Aladağ +++ Klub Solitaer e.V. Chemnitz mit Christoph Blankenburg, Priska Engelhardt, Klara Meinhardt, Patrick Will, Daniel Wolter +++ Pochen Biennale Chemnitz mit Ulrich Formann +++ Margrethe Pettersen +++ Ooze Architects und Marjetica Potrč +++ raumlabor +++ Gil Shachar +++ Simon Starling +++ Simon Weckert +++ Weltecho, Oscar e.V. Chemnitz mit Frank Maibier