Project: Street furniture meets street art
Artistic benches are currently being installed at various locations in Chemnitz
Street furniture, such as seating in public spaces, doesn't always have to be boring. What happens when functionality meets art? This was precisely the idea behind the "Street furniture meets street art" project. In the spirit of the European Capital of Culture bid, the aim is to show that culture is not only associated with theatres, museums and high culture, but can also be integrated directly into people's living spaces - art combined with the everyday, art for young and old. A surprising splash of colour in the cityscape, designed to entice people to discover, linger, photograph and post.
The overriding aim was to develop a coherent concept, to have striking street furniture objects produced by international artists from the urban art scene and to create a catalogue of various functional objects with the aspect of regional production and installation.
On behalf of the GGG, various street artists came together in Chemnitz in the summer, immersed themselves in the city and visited various locations that had been suggested by citizens as public spaces to be designed in connection with the bid to become European Capital of Culture 2025. Among them were Freundewerk from Mülsen, Tomislav Topic from Berlin, Frank Baltasar Heim from Chemnitz, Sat One from Munich, Zone 56 from Glauchau, Guido Günther from Rebel Art in Chemnitz and Zedz from Amsterdam. A joint working process resulted in various designs of artistic street furniture, some of which are now on display.
The rainbow benches by Tomislav Topic from Berlin can already be found in Stadthallenpark and Uferpark (by the castle pond). Passers-by can decide for themselves how they want to use the art object, whether as a seat, backrest, shady spot or simply as a striking meeting point.
Freundewerk from Mülsen is currently working on a C-shaped seat that will also soon adorn the town. The plan is to install more of this street furniture in Chemnitz.