CityLeaks Urban Art Festival 2017 Cologne

From September 1 to 24, 2017 it is time for the fourth edition of CityLeaks Urban Art Festival that will turn Cologne into a large stage for artistic interventions of all kinds. Corresponding to its central idea of “Sharing Cities” this year’s festival perceives of itself as an open forum for a productive dialogue among local citizens and initiatives as well as international artists and scholars.

In order to give this dialogue a place in the city, a team of volunteers has erected a temporary Festival Centre on the Ebertplatz, one of Cologne’s largest inner city squares. During the festival, a whole lot of interventions, installations, happenings and workshops will find their place within Cologne’s public space. As always, the festival’s rich programme will be complemented by a great many exhibitions in local galleries, art associations as well as project and off spaces.
In order to give you an impression of an enormously diverse festival programme, I am going to introduce you to a number of festival highlights that I deem especially worthwhile attending and/or participating in.

On Friday, Septembr 8 several performers and dancers transform the area around Ebertplatz into a large stage. Yet this stage is not just for being looked at by amazed visitors, but for active participation as well.
The works by LIGNA, Give it a name, katharinajej and Sonia Franken invite the audiences to become part of their performance in order to experience, perceive and roam a seemingly well familiar neighbourhood in completely new ways.
Apart from that, Cologne-based performance network PAErsche will present works of its artists both at Gallery Kunstwerk Nippes and all about Nippes and Agnesviertel during the festival’s entire lease.

A productive dialogue among the arts, academia and the local citizenry lies at the heart of CityLeaks Academy from September 8 to 10. The Academy’s lectures, panel discussions, workshops and guided tours will particularly focus on the role and potential of consumption behaviour, urban space and digital culture with regard to local sharing initiatives and urban commons.

CityLeaks Academy
September 8 till 10, 2017
Festival Centre, Ebertplatz

A great number of new artworks and installation will once more be created within the Cologne public space:

• The temporary light installation “Capacitive Body” by Martin Hesselmeier under a railway underpass at Salzmagazin
  Am Salzmagazin, Bahnbögen, 50668 Köln
  September 2, 7, 8 and 9 from 9.00 p.m. till 12.00 a.m.
• The supersized Bobbycar complete with its own parking bay by Martin Kaltwasser
  Location: tba
• Several ephemeral urban interventions by The Wa, Vladimir Turner and Benjamin Gaulon which will cause confusion, amusement and critical reflection all around Eigelstein and Ebertplatz
  Locations: tba

Moreover, a number of muralists will once more leave their traces on the city’s walls and facades this year:

• Railway embankment between main station and Hansaring
  • Hyuro: Maybachstraße 137, September 2 till 8
  • El Marian: Ursulaplatz 10, September 4 till 10
• Ehrenfeld
  • Interesni Kazki: Vogelsanger Straße 193, August 26 till September 6
• Nippes
  • Agostino Iacurci: Neusser Straße 242–244 (parking area Kaufhof), August 28 till 31
  • Innerfields: Neusser Straße 242–244 (parking area Kaufhof), September 1 till 8
• Mülheim
  • Elian Chali: Clevischer Ring 178, September 2 till 11

A large and diverse programme of guided tours gives you the opportunity to discover urban artworks in many different neighbourhoods of Cologne. CityLeaks bike and walking tours will guide you along new routes through Eigelstein- and Agnesviertel just as much as through familiar street art turfs in Ehrenfeld, Belgian Quarter, Nippes and Mülheim. Here, many older murals may be discovered next to brand-new artworks. Most tours include visits to cooperating galleries, associations and off spaces.

An important aspect of the festival is to actively involve residents and visitors in many stages of the creative processes and actions that form part of the festival. CityLeaks 2017 thus offers more opportunities than ever to participate, such as “Speaker’s Corner“ on Ebertplatz as well as via numerous open calls, workshops, and guided tours. Be part of it!

For more information and the complete programme see: cityleaks-festival.de  |  www.facebook.com/CityLeaksFestival