From April to September 2024, KV Leipzig, Bidston Observatory Artistic Research Centre (BOARC), and Bistro 21 engaged in an exchange titled "Collectively Crossing: Affiliation Bridges." Our goal was to explore shared intentions and connections within our collective artistic practices, as well as possibilities for community outreach, while confronting common challenges in both Germany and the UK—particularly between Leipzig and Liverpool.
This exchange unfolded against a backdrop of post-Brexit uncertainties, funding entanglements in current global conflicts, and the economic transformations shaping (post)industrial cities, all of which deeply influence our practice. We sought a space for mutual reflection and (re)imagination, to address open wounds, and to come together in evolving group constellations.
The exchange centered around a six-day residency at Bidston Observatory (BOARC) in June, where we immersed ourselves in BOARC’s magical environment during Summer Solstice. A highlight, between the community summer solstice ritual and a joint KV-Bistro21 radio night show in the cellar of BOARC, was a talk by artist Sarah E. James on "Three Radioactive Fairytales," or uranium mining in the GDR. This talk challenged our perceptions of (our own) East German history, political narratives, and their intersection with contemporary art, in the present and aftermath of the events.
Collaborative discussions throughout the residency focused on collective organisational models, often-invisible power dynamics within our structures, barriers in community outreach, and the persistent obstacles posed by current funding structures and realities of our collective work we are confronted with. Exploring Liverpool’s and BOARC's surroundings further provoked critical discussions on urban revitalisation and the role of art (spaces) in these processes.
This exchange has laid the groundwork for ongoing collaboration between our spaces. It also initiated crucial internal reflections on our collective practice, which we hope to develop sustainably. The residency itself challenged us as a group—a call to pause, while maintaining a playful, inclusive environment in a self-organised space. A space to rethink how we organise ourselves in a world that often seems hostile to non-commercial, collective artistic and activistic endeavours.
As we look ahead, we believe in the importance and the potential of cultural exchanges across borders. These exchanges are not just opportunities for collaboration—they are vital acts of resistance in times of collective crises and the alarming closure of spaces for meaningful dialogue. We believe in the transformative potential of these connections, even as we navigate the challenges that come with them.
Thank you to Bidston Observatory Artistic Research Centre and Bistro21 for the collaboration and joint experiment. And thanks to all Cultural Bridge partners for making this important exchange possible during times of collective crises.
Pictures: Nora Weh, Juness Beshir / KV Leipzig
Illustrations: Juliane Wenzl / KV Leipzig
