Seit über zwei Jahrzehnten markiert der im niederrheinischen Rheinberg geborene Baumgärtel als "Bananensprayer" ausgewählte "Kunstorte" durch farbige Bananen. Was als anarchistische Aktion begann, hat sich heute als Qualitäts-Signet der Kunstszene etabliert. Kein Museum, keine Galerie ohne Banane…

Die Kennzeichnung herausragender Objekte der Industriekultur an der Ruhr durch Baumgärtels Qualitätsmarke ist deshalb, so sehen es namhafte Fachexperten, nur folgerichtig. Im Rahmen einer "Ruhr-Tour" Anfang April wurden weitere "Kunstorte" ausgezeichnet. Eine Banane tragen nun unter anderem das Museum Küppersmühle in Duisburg (siehe Foto am Beitragsende), der Gasometer in Oberhausen und die Phoenix-Halle in Dortmund.

Allerdings legt die Stadt Dortmund dem Künstler nun Steine in den Weg: Nach seinen Angaben wurde das Vorhaben, das – gerade frisch vergoldete "Dortmunder U" durch einer überdimensionale Banane zu ergänzen (siehe Fotomontage), von der Stadt Dortmund in einem Schreiben von Kulturdezernent Jörg Stüdemann Ende letzten Jahres wegen "Blitzableiterproblemen" abgelehnt. Die temporäre Installation sollte nach Angaben des Künstlers von 100 Bürgern zusammen dem Ruhrgebiet in diesem Sommer geschenkt werden.

zur Diskussion im WAZ-Portal "Der Westen"

Das ehemalige Brauerei-Gebäude unweit des Dortmunder Hauptbahnhofs soll im Rahmen von "Ruhr2010" zum Kultur- und Museumszentrum ausgebaut werden (wir berichteten).

 

(Fotos und Montagen: Thomas Baumgärtel)

As Benjamin writes us, although „this year the Research Centre for Industrial Heritage is going through a somewhat complicated transformation“, the preparation of the 2009 „Vestiges of Industry“ Biennial“ has begun, and he welcomes all cooperation and support offers and suggestions.

“In an agreement with the other organisers (Czech Chamber of Engineers, ICOMOS National Committee, National Heritage Institute, British Council) the theme selected for the Biennial will focus on a topic that is sensitive, controversial and has thus far been avoided in the Czech Republic: “Industrial Heritage in the Vacuum between Professionals and Amateurs“, in other words, the benefits, drawbacks, and methods of cooperation between qualified professional institutions on the one hand and enthusiastic volunteers, civic movements, interest groups, and local and national political representation in the evaluation and conservation of industrial heritage on the other (for example, in the restoration of the remains of industrial technologies). This is a theme that has not yet been taken up in the Czech Republic, and I think that much useful experience can be introduced into our environment from abroad!

The “Vestiges of Industry“ Biennial itself will again form a kind of umbrella event for many other activities, exhibitions, and cultural events in Prague and other towns (e.g. Kladno, Ostrava, Liberec, Usti nad Labem) that will take place from August until around the end of October. There will be a series of workshops on this theme, organised partly with the British Council, and then it will culminate in a conference that will take place in the week from 8th to 16th October, which is the week when most of the professional and cultural activities should come together. In connection with the conference, to which we would like to invite all parties with an interest in the topic, we are preparing exhibitions (again) of student projects, and also a somewh at sad exhibition titled“ What We have Destroyed“, along with an exhibition of photographs of industrial objects. At the same time we are also preparing a publication on industrial heritage in the Usti nad Labem Region, something similar to Industrial Liberec. The publication is being prepared with the support of the Czech-German Fund for the Future."

Information in short

5th biennale “Vestiges of Industry“, 8-18th October 2009, Prague – Kladno – Usti nad Labem – Ostrava – Liberec

Conference “Industrial Heritage in the Vacuum between Professionals and Amateurs“, 9+10th October 2009, Ecotechnical Museum, Papirensk 6, Prague-Bubenec, Czech Republic

More Information

Contact E-mail (in English): fragner@vc.cvut.cz

Cover of the 2007 conference publication