Begehungen No. 18: LEERZEIT

12.8. - 15.8.2021 in Chemnitz, Germany
(* title of this year´s edition - translation: idle time)

Trains do not pass here anymore.
goods are circulating somewhere else,
but the station stays.
It had no choice - it never had.
We loaded the goods and ourselves on its back
and used the place as a pivot between here and there.
Transit is a privilege.
Relieved from its purpose it endures the times,
waits for commands and records idle times which will never be checked.
Doomed to an eternal wait. A functional place without purpose. Limbo.
What remains:
Leerzeit.

Now we face the untimeless.
A concentration of a pervasively removing of meaning.
Enacted Leerzeiten.
The production continues, free time is cancelled.
Yes to consumption, but please keep it quiet.
#theeconomylikesit
Straying in the living environment pacing off the bars.
And behind those thousand bars no world.
We miss trains.
A desire for an departure.
There is no travel without rails. Not everything is DIY.
Where is this supposed to end?
The escape has to be safe. Civilization means comfort.
No way: dead end.

We try to learn a lesson from the void.
We get back to basics, we pick up crafting skills, we are baking bread.
The waiting hall smells like sourdough.
No survival beyond the rails.
But we still keep ordering our gear online.
Its warehouse is nevertheless empty. Consumption does not fill.
Empty shells decay without a content.
Nonetheless: a realisation arises collectively:
It is about time to save ourselves.
a balm for exhausted souls.

The conductor bears the responsibility.
With a ticket we will become customers.
But trains do not pass here anymore.
The station does not bear the blame.
It carries us.
So we disrupt its Leerzeit with ours.

A moment of rush. Are Leerzeiten being taken into account?
What if it will be charged in the end?
Never mind, the now is safe, the later is uncertain.
The future me will pay the debts.
Today we celebrate the Leerzeit.

And are going to be wrapped up in it.
Looking together for the fill, that makes us resilient.
 
WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Under the freely interpretable title LEERZEIT we are calling to submit artistic works or to apply with a concept for a four-week residence in Chemnitz.

This Open Call is addressed to any kind of artistic forms of expression, that can imagine a free discussion under this topic. All works selected by a jury of experts will be exhibited at the festival in the warehouse, if necessary, in the outdoor area of the freight yard and will be accompanied by a diverse supporting program of music, readings and workshops with high media presence.

The deadline for the applications is 09.05.2021 at 23:59 (CEST).
The jury´s meeting will take place in june. The selection is expected to be announced in the middle of june.
 
WE OFFER

• Artists of selected submissions receive an allowance of 300€ + shipping costs (submissions)
• Artists who will stay for four weeks in Chemnitz receive an allowance of 1300€ plus 700€ for material resources. Arrival and departure costs will be refunded and a free accommodation will be provided (residencies). Within a shorter period of residency time the allowance and material resources will be reduced proportionally.

Further information on the application conditions can be found on our homepage: https://www.begehungen-chemnitz.de/en/

NOTE REGARDING THE CURRENT SITUATION DUE TO COVID-19
Our greatest concern is not to expose our artists, helpers and visitors to any health risks. As the festival organizers, we are in constant contact with the responsible authorities. Due to the current uncertainty with regard to the coming months, especially with regard to the entry requirements, we cannot guarantee that selected international artists can enter for the period of the entry. If it is foreseeable that the festival cannot take place in the planned form, we will get in touch with all applicants and at the latest with the selected artists.