Intercultural Weeks 2012 in Chemnitz with street art project and "Jarnbombing" on the Sonnenberg

One of the high-profile projects in the Intercultural Weeks 2012 programme that will remain present beyond the day has already begun this summer: The ART wall, previously designed in the tunnel of the railway subway at Chemnitz Central Station, has moved closer to the Sonnenberg district and is to be presented in a new design to mark the opening of the Intercultural Weeks 2012 in Chemnitz on 29 September. According to foreigners' representative Etelka Kobuß, the campaign is already a tradition in the neighbourhood: "The ART wall gives people with and without a migration background a special platform to appear as street artists in a frequently visited location. Colourful pictures are intended to replace extremist and xenophobic graffiti and, of course, prevent further graffiti. And last but not least, this cheerful art project will also improve the quality of life in the neighbourhood and in the district."

The symbolic relocation of the ART wall from the railway subway tunnel to Sebastian-Bach-Straße on Lessingplatz took place at the end of July with the support and commitment of an international team of artists who have made Chemnitz their home. The first major brushstrokes were made as part of the "ART Wall Special" by Elen Gamgonidze (Tbilisi Art Academy, Georgia), Georgi Guraspaschvili (Georgian Artists' Association), Buryana Todorova (freelance artist from Sofia, Bulgaria) and Buryana Todorova (artist from Sofia, Bulgaria).artist from Sofia/Bulgaria), Sebastian Nikolitsch (visual artist and project manager of Straßengalerie Sonnenberg) and Boris Ostrovsky (visual artist of Ukrainian origin, Galerie Art-Eck Chemnitz).

The ART Wall is a Caritas project, realised in collaboration with many citizens from the district. New partners are added every year: this year, for example, the after-school children from the "Sonnenbergstrolche" daycare centre, which is run by Volkssolidarität, will be taking part for the first time - after all, the new ART Wall is located directly on their route to school.To mark the fifth anniversary of the ART wall, a special campaign is now being planned in the neighbourhood to appeal to the older generation and encourage them to take part. The project is supported by Cariats community coordinator Claudia Hoppe: "We had the idea, also supported by the city's social services department, to try out 'Jarnbombing' as an artistic design option together with the neighbourhood residents and in the ART Wall project." Jarnbombing involves crocheting or knitting around objects in public spaces. The initiators also want to utilise the handicraft potential of the district residents and enrich the district with their creativity. Interested senior citizens from Sonnenberg and, of course, anyone else familiar with the technique are invited to crochet or knit small colourful squares in advance, which will then be joined together on the day of the ART Wall. On the day of the ART wall, a "large whole" will be created from many individual parts. The squares can be handed in to the community coordination office at Ludwig-Kirsch-Straße 17 until 25 September. The crochet and knitted squares can also be collected if required.

Dmytro Remestvenskyy, organiser of the ART wall: "We can create something very beautiful and inspiring for the Sonnenberg district with little money from the ERDF allocation fund. People can simply come along, join in, meet other people, chat and become artistically active in a creative and tolerant atmosphere."
Various techniques can be tried out on 25 September: Whether stencil drawing, paper graffiti, jarnbombing or simple drawing with a brush - there should be something for everyone. Contact: Dmytro Remestvenskyy, call 0173/ 420 57 18, e-mail: dmytro.remestvensky(at)bigmir.net and gwk-sobe(at)caritas-chemnitz.de