On Thursday, 29 October, from 4 pm, the city of Chemnitz will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of its town twinning with the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana. Mayor Ralph Burghart invites you to the ceremony at the Garagen-Campus, Zwickauer Straße 164. Following a reception for invited guests featuring welcoming addresses and presentations, the public part of the event will begin at 6 pm and is open to anyone interested; registration is required at www.chemnitz.de/openandconnected.
Media representatives are also invited to the ceremony.
At the ceremony, starting at 4 pm, Mayor Ralph Burghart will welcome a delegation from Ljubljana. The ceremony will explore the architectural features that characterised the cities of Chemnitz and Ljubljana 60 years ago. Afterwards, Professor of Architecture Dijana Handanovic from the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design at the University of Houston will give a talk on architecture and the role it can play in fostering social cohesion within public spaces.
For on this day, we are celebrating more than just 60 years of town twinning. Sixty years ago, the K67 kiosk was created as a modular system that became an icon of architecture and design in public spaces and continues to inspire reflection on modularity and multifunctionality to this day. The Kiosk thus also serves as a starting point for exploring how places of encounter are created and how sustainable relationships between people, cities and countries can be shaped and strengthened.
Public event from 6 pm
From 6 pm, the doors will open to all interested parties, as the owner, Dirk Dobiéy, will formally hand over a freshly restored K67 to the Garagen-Campus on permanent loan in the courtyard of the Garagen-Campus. Saša J. Mächtig, Professor Emeritus at the University of Ljubljana and the architect and designer of the K67 from Ljubljana, will also be in attendance.
Afterwards, Tina Winkel, manager of Europe Direct Chemnitz, will invite guests to join in a discussion. One of the main tasks of the Europe Direct Chemnitz office is to permanently bring the intervention areas of Chemnitz 2025 – European Capital of Culture, of which the Garagen-Campus forms part, to life with activities and events.
Afterwards, Tina Winkel and Dirk Dobiéy will provide an insight into the ‘Open & Connected’ programme and a preview of the kiosk’s future use. They will discuss its history, its significance for the present and possible prospects for its future in Chemnitz. From 7 pm, DJs from Ljubljana and Chemnitz will be playing live sets from inside the kiosk.
Two-day event
The inauguration of the restored K67 kiosk marks the start of the “Open & Connected” event, which, from 29 to 30 October, will place the K67 kiosk at the centre of a varied programme focusing on design, architecture, urban space and social interaction. Alongside Saša J. Mächtig, architecture professor Dijana Handanović, architect Nikola Opačić and director and screenwriter Jasna Hribernik will provide insights into the history, cultural significance and future of the modular kiosk. Through lectures, film discussions and panel discussions, the event will explore how places of encounter come into being and how sustainable relationships between people, cities and countries can be shaped and strengthened.
Admission is free, but registration is required at www.chemnitz.de/openandconnected.
Background
The town twinning between Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, and Chemnitz has existed since 1966 and is brought to life through, amongst other things, sporting exchanges, youth meetings and collaboration on EU projects and within international organisations. Numerous exhibitions and artist exchanges bear witness to the lively cooperation in the cultural and artistic spheres. On Chemnitz’s Schloßteichinsel, one can now find a sculpture by the Slovenian artist Simcic, which was given a place of honour there in 1990 as a symbol of the cities’ friendship.
Alongside the Garagen-Campus and the Saxon State Centre for Political Education, the City of Chemnitz is a partner in the ‘Open & Connected’ event, the content of which is managed by ‘Age of Artists’ and Europe Direct Chemnitz. The City of Chemnitz is the organiser of the ceremony.
www.chemnitz.de/openandconnected
English
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