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.
Festival Centre Ebertplatz
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.
TRANSURBAN Opening
As a part of the regional urban art initiative TRANSURBAN, Ehrenfeld’s Helios compound will receive a fresh coat of paint on August 26: While several graffiti writers and muralist will paint on and around Heliosstraße, the Helios 37 club invites you to the Urban Art exhibition YAKAMOZ with subsequent party plus outdoor lightwriting and video jamming.
At the same time, exhibitions by Strassengold (various local and national street artists) at Atelierzentrum Ehrenfeld, tape art collective Tape That at Bunker k101 and Millerntor Gallery at Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld will open on this day. A perfect day for grooving in to a hot Cologne September full of urban art!
Strassengold
- Opening: August 25 at 7.00 p.m.
- Atelierzentrum Ehrenfeld, Hospeltstraße 69
- August 26t till September 17, 2017
- Opening hours: Mon, Tue and Fri from 3.00 till 8.00 p.m.,
Sat and Sun from 11.00 a.m. till 9.00 p.m. - www.strassengold.org
TRANSURBAN Opening
- August 26, 2017 from 2.00 p.m.
- Helios compound, Heliosstraße 37
- 4.00 p.m. Graffiti Jam
- 4.00 till 10.00 p.m. YAKAMOZ exhibition
- 10.00 p.m. Lightwriting(www.facebook.com/lichtfaktor) und Video Jam
- 11.00 p.m. Aftershow Party
- www.facebook.com/TRANSURBAN.NRW
Tape That & Urban Voyeur
- Opening: August 26 at 4.00 p.m.
- Bunker k101, Körnerstraße 101
- August 26 till September 10, 2017
- Opening hours: Fri till Sun from 4.00 till 9.00 p.m.
- www.bunkerk101.de | tapethatcollective.com | www.trapphagen.de
Millerntor Galerie
- Opening: August 26 at 7.00 p.m.
- Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld, Bartholomäus-Schink-Straße 67
- Opening hours: Identical with Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld’s opening hours
The City as Stage: CityLeaks Interacting Day
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.
CityLeaks Interacting Day
- September 8, 2017 from 3.00 till 6.00 p.m.
- All around Ebertplatz and Eigelstein
PAErsche >sharing 576 h<
- Opening: September 1 at 12.00 p.m.
Galerie Koppelmann Kunstwerk Nippes, Baudristraße 5
September 2 till 24, 2017 - Flyout: September 16, 2017, 3.00 p.m.
Start: Ebertplatz passages, Ebertplatz 3, 50668 Köln - Mapping Nippes: September 23, 2017 from 2.00 pm.
- paersche.org
A Space for Ideas & Visions: CityLeaks Academy
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
Hacking the City
Installations and Urban Interventions
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
Murals
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
Discovering the city anew: CityLeaks Guided Tours
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.
- Ehrenfeld Tour 2
August 26, September 10 and 24, always at 4.00 p.m.
Start: Vogelsanger Straße 28 / Piusstraße - Ehrenfeld / Agnesviertel Bike Tour
September 2, 10 and 17, always at 4.00 p.m.
Start: Vogelsanger Straße 28 / Piusstraße - Ehrenfeld Tour 1
September 2 and 16, always at 4.00 p.m.
Start: Venloer Straße 472 / Leyendeckerstraße (in front of Zeeman) - Mülheim Tour
September 3 and 17, always at 4.00 p.m.
Start: Von-Sparr-Straße 78 / Markgrafenstraße - Nippes Bike Tour
September 3 and 24, always at 4.00 p.m.
Start: Neusser Straße 450 / Gürtel (in front of Bezirksrathaus Nippes)
- Gallery Bike Tour
September 8 at 5.00 p.m.
Start: Körnerstraße 101 (in front of Bunker k101) - Eigelstein Tour
September 9, 16 and 23, always at 4.00 p.m.
Start: Eigelstein 10 / Turiner Straße (in front of Maxi Markt) - Belgisches Viertel Tour
September 9 and 23, always at 4.00 p.m.
Start: Aachener Straße 52 / Brüsseler Straße (in front of Herr Pimock) - Graffiti Bike Tour
September 15 at 5.00 p,m.
Start: Neusser Straße 450 / Gürtel (in front of Bezirksrathaus Nippes)
Be part of it! Workshops und Open Calls
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!
Till the end of August a crowdfunding campaign is running: www.startnext.com/de/ein-ebertplatz-fuer-alle
Funds shall be raised in order to ensure the construction of the Festival Centre as well as many other festival activities. Each donator may receive special gifts already for small amounts of money. Help to make CityLeaks 2017 a success!
For more information and the complete programme see: cityleaks-festival.de | www.facebook.com/CityLeaksFestival
Leave a Comment