As many of you already know, in early 2009 I departed Enjoy, heading to the contemporary art mecca that is Berlin. Considering I was born, raised and trained on the very edge of the world, (read periphery) in a small island paradise, I thought I'd try out living in the centre of things for a while and see how that feels. I’m now also blessed with the opportunity to see how NZ art stacks up against non-peripheral art practices. (Answer: very well)
My trip to Berlin in April was supported by a Cultural Exchange Scholarship from the Goethe Institut, Wellington. This enabled me to learn German full-time for two months and set me up for a more active an integrated stay. Berlin is a beautiful, liveable and richly layered metropolis. So far, it’s been a stimulating and sometimes difficult adventure; I certainly never thought I’d have to live on less cash than running a galley for no wages (Canary) or earning less than the dole (Enjoy) but well, yeah… That Berlin is ‘poor but sexy’ is one on the truest comments I’ve read by a city mayor. After 6 months of general cultural participation and economic water-treading (‘jobben’ auf Deutsch), I have been awarded funding by CNZ to undertake a research internship with the prestigious art institution the Künstlerhaus Bethanien to develop an international publication project. Whoop!
Some background: Since 1974, The Künstlerhaus Bethanien has hosted over 400 artists from all over the world and is one of the largest international residency programs worldwide. Regular exhibitions, curatorial development programs and extensive publishing are also important aspects of the Bethanien’s activities. More than 300 books, catalogues and magazines have already been published. As part of my research project, I’m now editing/curating a themed book project about an aspect of contemporary art. I’ll be mentored by the Bethanien’s director Christoph Tannert. Christoph is also the co-editor of Men in Black: A Handbook of Curatorial Practice published by the Künstlerhaus Bethanien (2004) MIB is a seminal text in the field of contemporary exhibition making.
This professional development opportunity will put me in into direct contact with innovative international artists from all over the world and give me access to the talented Bethanien team. Double whoop! I’ll try to provide more info on the book project that I’m editing as it develops.
Tschüss, Paula
More info on the Künstlerhaus Bethanien:
http://www.bethanien.de/kb/index/trans/en/page/mission
Image: The Bethanien und Ich in Autum (Berlin is now covered in snow). Photo by Wellington's own Mark Williams.
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