Visions of the future launches crowdfunding campaign

The “ZUKUNFTSVISIONEN2015 – Festival for Contemporary Art” is a project with the vision of revitalizing unused spaces in Görlitz. Since 2007, students at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences have been volunteering
with passion and creativity to openly address the issue of vacant properties in Görlitz.

Unused buildings in the city are made accessible and revitalized. The project offers regional, national, and international artists a platform for their work. An accompanying program of workshops, performances, readings, dance, music, and theater aims to attract both Görlitz residents and visitors to the city, integrate them, and inspire a passion for art.

ZUKUNFTSVISIONEN2015 will take place from May 23–30, 2015, under the theme “zukünftig:GEMEINSAMKEIT.” The organizing team consists of 13 students from the Bachelor’s program in culture and management, the

“” Master's degree programme in culture and management

, and the Bachelor’s program in Social Work. With this chosen theme, this year’s festival focuses on the contrasts within the city and the resulting commonalities. One of the most important aspects here is bringing together young and old, as well as city residents and newly arrived asylum seekers. This theme will not only be reflected in the festival’s supporting program but will also be manifested in the workshops accompanying the exhibition. Here, young and old, residents, and asylum seekers are to come into contact across generations and create together—for a future in Görlitz.

This year, part of the festival’s funding will once again be raised throughcrowdfunding at
. At www.startnext.com/zuvi, everyone has the opportunity until
on April 15 to support the project at
with a contribution of their choice. In return, there are unique rewards such as a
1920s-style photo shoot, a romantic “candlelight dinner” at the
“Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten,” or bike tours on
extraordinary bikes. Tickets, complimentary drinks, and
artist catalogs can also be purchased in advance.

The jury meeting to select this year’s artists took place back in February at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. From among 200 applications, four “Artists in Residence” were selected—who will be on site starting April 25—as well as twelve exhibiting artists from a total of five countries. The jury members were Ulf Großmann, Héctor Solari, Verena Andreas, Andreas Schanzenbach, and Lydia Göbel.

The project is funded by the New Federal States Fund of the Federal Cultural Foundation as well as by the Cultural Foundation of the Free State of Saxony.