Shortly before 6 p.M., the local editorial office received a call from berlin: alexander ochs-barwinek loved to be informed by an employee of his gallery that the "red manner" on friday from 6 o'clock again at the schonleinsplatz were squatted. He has just reached an agreement on this with the mayor of the city, andreas stark (SPD).
A week ago he had the artwork "meeting" by wang shugang taken out of the cityscape. After the city council made a quick location decision in his favor for the schonleinsplatz, the figures are to return over night.
Next week, ochs, gallery owner of the chinese artist shugang, and a group of comrades-in-arms want to start collecting money for the purchase of the popular installation.
The acquisition of donations is to become a "matter for all citizens of bamberg and their friends and guests" make. 240 000 euros must be collected; large and small donors will be approached.
Supporter circle formed
how exactly the financing of the sculpture group can succeed, alexander ochs-barwinek wants to announce next week. "We are working on a concept", he told the local editorial office when asked.
So much it already betrayed: one wanted to use purposefully the internet as information medium and platform for godfathers and interested ones.
The city will only provide logistical support, but no money. According to ochs, he can expect energetic help from a number of burghers who are also interested in a broad discourse on art and culture in bamberg.
The contact with them was established during the summer, when he – a native of bamberg and a gallery owner in berlin and beijing – presented the exhibition "circles" to his hometown donated. She continues to draw circles. The youngest calls itself "kreis bamberger burger fur kunst und kultur" and wants to help collecting money.
A new debate on space begins?
Well-known people with experience in fundraising, such as birgit dietz, are part of it. In 2001, for example, the architect, together with andrea hochmuth, raised the money to buy the mitoraj sculpture on the lower bridge.
If you now decide for the "meeting-ochs-barwinek is committed to the acquisition of the sculpture group because she cares deeply about the city of bamberger platze, she said. The "red manner had given the schonleinsplatz back some of its old vitality, it is receiving more attention again, dietz is pleased to say.
She reminds us of her initiative "auf die platze", which she launched years ago when she was a CSU city councilor and which, to her regret, is now on ice. She hopes that the platze project will make progress with the revived discussion about art in public spaces.
Similarly, ochs-barwinek is getting better. He wins what he calls the "political discovery process" about the right location for the "red manner, quite positive. The new group wants to talk to as many people as possible about art in the city.
The circle includes, among others, the architectural photographer and sanger uwe gaasch, art association chairman barbara kahle "rondo"-host francesco rubiu and art historian and domberg coordinator birgit kastner at.
Together they buried that the "meeting" if, then at the schonleinsplatz is permanently installed. This had the function of a place for the burghers, was a crystallization and communication point.
It is agreed, it says in the first press release of the young group, "that the square through the sculpture group in today's language approaches its historical design claim and above all opens up again to the burger".
Councilman matthias alt (/BR), who was the only one to vote against the schonleinsplatz, also argues with the importance of this green area for bamberg. He sees it more like the city curators, who had preferred to keep the place free for other temporary art.