Bio : Founded 1996 in Dresden, Germany. Members: Martin Keil (1969), Henrik Mayer (1971)
Description : The city quarter (Leipzig/Plagwitz) is a former industrial area, highly affected by the economic turndown after the system change in East Germany. Nevertheless it became a hotspot for the international art scene and creative industries since artists, galleries and cultural workers gathered around the premises of a former cotton-spinning factory. The quarter has the appearance of a run-down industrial era, but offers at the same moment a variety of free space. The omnipresent vacancy and unused urban wasteland contrasts with initiatives by the inhabitants, a growing art scene, small enterprises and official city planning strategies. By overlaying the historical street names with actual and trendy concepts, attention is drawn to the current development of this district of the city. The temporary re-naming shall create a sensibility for the synergies and contradictions that are part of the city development process.