A cargo bike used as a mobile mediator for an exhibition? This idea sounds crazy at first, but the art and urban nature exhibition Kiel (re)connecting.earth Beyond Water in Kiel has shown how well this can work.
The Hamburg collective N55, consisting of lon Sorvin and Till Wolfer, designed a cargo bike to complement the exhibition as a mobile library. The bike is characterised by its modular, evolutionary and collective nature, making it a unique work of art. For this iteration, they have developed a library cargo bike that will be gradually developed and rebuilt as part of the upcoming biennials of (re)connecting.earth. The bike embodies the idea of exchange between the exhibition and the public and emphasises the principles of modularity and adaptability. This flexibility makes it possible to adapt the bicycle to different purposes and locations.
It was stationed in the Forum of the Stadtgalerie from September 13th to October 27th 2024, always ready to provide visitors with information material such as maps of the exhibition venues and tailored explanations for different target groups.
Two to three days a week, it was driven through the streets of Kiel with two members of the exhibition team, close to the locations where artworks were exhibited. During this time, the riders provided information about the exhibition, but also offered interested readers an oasis of calm with relevant books on sustainability and the future, recommended by artists of the exhibition themselves. The bike also offered the opportunity to borrow headphones to listen to the audio work Ville subaquatique et mondes parallèles by Alexandre Joly. It was also possible to request materials to implement some of the 22 art instructions and Reconnection certificates were also available there, emphasising the participatory element of the project.
The reconnection Bike was an important element of the exhibition, as it enabled a deeper connection between art and science as well as mediation and sensitisation for the topics of art and biodiversity. An intergenerational and multicultural exchange took place regularly, such as on one day when two bypassers interested in art spontaneously joined the mediation team and worked along some of the stations of the Reconnection trail. The flexible vehicle was also able to travel directly to current, relevant events in Kiel, including a Fridays4Future demo. The most fruitful mediation discussions usually took place in front of the painting Kiel (after melting Arctic) by Diana Lelonek on Lorenzendamm, although the bike was an eye-catcher at every location. The bike enabled communication to take place beyond the boundaries of the exhibition centres and new target groups to be included, which facilitated a direct exchange and space for questions. The bike gave Kiel (re)connecting.earth an approachable face with which the Kiel public could identify.
The reconnection bike of the (re)connecting.earth Beyond Water exhibition in Kiel stimulated a lively exchange about art and science and thus impressively demonstrated how art education can be done in an innovative way, which is why this good idea will certainly continue to be visible as part of the Biennale in the future.
Exhibition
septembre 13 – novembre 24, 2024
How is it possible in a technological urban world full of stimulation to maintain a connection with other species that share our direct environment? Building on the (re)connecting.earth (02) Biennial from Geneva, the edition “Beyond Water” evolved into a nomadic version in Kiel, featuring the works of 31 artists in two museums and in public space.
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