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Editor:
Presscouncil City of Chemnitz
Pressrelease: 694

OSTRALE audit commission presents final report

The review committee for the OSTRALE in Chemnitz has presented its final report:

After a total of three rounds of consultations, the committee recommends that the OSTRALE association should not be located in Chemnitz, despite co-operative talks. Ferenc Csák, Head of Cultural Operations, announced this today.


The original aim of the negotiations was a ten-year contract for the OSTRALE in Chemnitz. The review committee cited three main reasons for its recommendation to the contrary:

  • Various properties were investigated as venues, among which the former spinning machine factory at Altchemnitzer Straße 27 was the only one that proved to be actually available at short notice. During the process, the OSTRALE association and representatives of the property expressed a need for additional space inside the building and in the outdoor area that went beyond the initially announced concept.
    Additional financial outlay would therefore be expected for the rent, relocation and remodelling inside and outside the building, which could increase steadily over the years. The announced funding from the municipal art and culture funding, which would have already been increased threefold compared to the city of Dresden, would not be sufficient for the location of the OSTRALE in Chemnitz and the complete implementation and realisation of the Biennale.
  • The concept of the OSTRALE for the non-biennial years does not sufficiently justify the high financial commitment of the City of Chemnitz in terms of content and quantity.
  • The Audit Commission recommends that the financial resources of 250,000 euros originally earmarked for the OSTRALE association in the letter of intent be used for other purposes instead. They should primarily be used to strengthen or develop existing formats with international appeal.


In June 2018, the City Council commissioned the administration to clarify the contractual, spatial and financial requirements for the OSTRALE - Biennale for Contemporary Art - in Chemnitz with the involvement of Chemnitz's cultural professionals and to conduct the necessary negotiations. To this end, a review commission was formed, consisting of one representative from each of the parties represented on the Cultural Committee and the Cultural Advisory Board. Chemnitz's cultural professionals and independent organisations from the visual arts and contemporary art sectors were involved in order to clarify future collaboration and possible networking activities with the OSTRALE association.