relations

As part of the programme area "Central and Eastern Europe", the Federal Cultural Foundation initiated the project relations which developed a number of art and cultural projects together with curators, scholars and artists from countries in Eastern Europe and Germany between 2003 and 2006.

The goal of relations was to examine local contexts, identify the broad, transnational issues and explore their interrelationships in terms of art, everyday life, science, politics and history. The projects placed issues that were skewed by nationalistic positions in an objective light, opened up channels of dialogue and addressed processes of societal change. In examining identity-building, visions of the future, and challenges of dealing with memory and the past, the project strived to develop new approaches to thinking and working that transgress national borders and appeal to international audiences. The participating artists worked closely together to expand the local scope of their projects and develop themes and formats that could be presented to German audiences.

relations strived to respond to local contexts in a flexible and individual manner, which meant that it avoided setting fixed conditions for its programme. It funded exhibitions, publications, archival storage projects and scholarship programmes for artists and scholars. relations also supported its partners in establishing legally secure, stable organizational structures. It enabled them to exchange ideas and information and participate in joint ventures.

The following projects were developed from 2003 to 2006:

ALTE ARTE > De/construction of Monument > Displaced > East Art Map > Mind the Map! - History Is Not Given > Lost and Found - a film project > Re:form > Missing Identity > Academy Remix > Visual Seminar > WILDES KAPITAL / WILD CAPITAL > Zagreb - Cultural Kapital of Europe 3000 > Peripherie 3000


The registered association "relations e.V." has developed several major exchange programmes between Germany and countries of Eastern Europe since 2003. These include relations (2003 - 2006), Büro Kopernikus (external link, opens in a new window) (2004 - 2006) and Bipolar (external link, opens in a new window) (2005 - 2007). At last it was funding the projects of Zipp - German-Czech Cultural Projects (external link, opens in a new window) which began in 2007.

For more information about relations, please visit its website www.projekt-relations.de (external link, opens in a new window).

Artistic director: Katrin Klingan
Project administrator: relations e.V., Berlin