PigeON PigeOFF

PigeON PigeOFF is a sound-video installation. It attempts to connect the inhabitants of the EOW building beyond time and space. The new inhabitants of the EOW, where man and machine have left, are pigeons, moss, and dust. It is an empty, silent ruin to the human eye, but filled with the constant action of its current inhabitants.
PigeON PigeOFF presents the buzzing vitality of an EOW through a soundscape. The sound of pigeons fluttering in EOW is like a motor running. When a pigeon flies (when the motors run), two hands of Helga Katzschmann (1938), who has lived in Oberweimar for 24 years, flap along.

the forgotten work

"The Forgotten Work" is a visual documentation of an abandoned factory site in Oberweimar. The project aims to raise awareness of the human impact on the environment and encourages reflection on the significance of the location. The photos depict the transience of the site and are glued to a large gate, serving as a documentation of its evolution over time. Through this artistic representation, the project captures the changes and invites viewers to contemplate the meaning of the place.

*Special thanks to everybody that participated in the documentation process

EOW Atlas

At its core, the EOW Atlas seeks to illuminate how a place can be experienced solely through the subjective lens of individuals. By intentionally setting aside the conventional methods used in architectural fields, such as plans, sections, and sketches, which are inherently detached from human sensory perception, this project ventures into uncharted territory, exploring the rich tapestry of personal encounters with the built environment.

The EOW Atlas is a map installation where it can be seen how the Post Compost group has experienced this place over time, as well as the maps prepared especially with the perspective of Nilsu and Imre. The maps themselves, crafted on semi-transparent paper, are suspended from the ceiling, creating a layered effect that symbolizes the multifaceted nature of subjective perceptions. This thoughtful arrangement allows for an immersive exploration of the maps and emphasizes the interconnectedness of individual experiences within the chosen place. As one travels through the EOW Atlas, the images undergoes a dynamic transformation.

structures of transition

Since the closure of the EOW, the site has been in an exciting process of change. In the absence of anthropogenic influences, plants, fungi and micro bacteria make up every inch of the terrain on a large and small scale. They design the surfaces and textures of the EOW buildings in a wide variety of ways. Processes happen, both in the generation of biological material, as well as in the erosion and decomposition of material.
These new structures form a unit, a small ecosystem of their own with the already existing infrastructure of this place. This is almost impossible to see on a large scale, due to its variety and diversity. In order to perceive these textures, you have to change perspectives and approach them to reduce your field of vision. The photos shown were taken on expeditions through the area during the seminar and are intended to shed light these areas and textures.
Each pixel of the photos taken, is converted into a vector which describes the up direction of the surface at that point and get reinterpreted onto a grid in Touchdesigner. But just like in the normal environment, you have to get closer to perceive the structures.

fortlaufen / continue

“fortlaufen / continue” (3 minuten für eine grundlegende wechselseitigkeit) is a collection of performative exercises, developed to bring the participant into a aware feedback-situation with their environment.
in 6 stations, participant can explore the post-industrial terrain of eow-weimar and by doing so, explore them selves. by focusing on different human senses (sight, movement, smell, sound, memory and touch) - the work offers simple approaches to reevaluate the human nature.

each exercise is guided by a brief score and can be executed in its site-specific setting. all exercises take around 3 minutes, measured by a timer started in the beginning.
The german term ‘wechselseitigkeit’ is built out of two words ‘wechsel’, meaning: change and ‘seitigkeit’, meaning: sideness.

‘fortlaufen / continue’ explores the concept of changing sides in the context of meeting non-human others.
the projects describes ‘wechselseitigkeit’ as the ability to consciously perceive ones environment, consciously react to it and consciously perceive the changes that are caused by ones actions.

in some sense the project is a study of a fundamental empathy; in another sense it is a study of close observation; in any case it is a study of reactivating our inner, child-like qualities.

Hidden History

We humans are curious creatures. We explore, interact and learn. But what if looking isn’t enough to grasp a space completely? Of course, we need to listen.
The project “Hidden History” let's listeners interact with the EOW site at their own pace while learning about its not so well known history.
Sometimes we need more information to fully reflect. Beside the human, technological, animal and natural noise that we expect to be at a location like this, the project aims to bring out sounds and stories of the EOW site that normally aren’t directly tangible. When walking on the path beside one of the old warehouses and the recultivated natural area, listeners can not only explore the EOWs visible features but also, at four different listening stations, take in the hidden history of this multilayer old factory site. Through read out articles and an interview a more complete story is being told.
The project is available to experience during the entire duration of the Post Compost exhibition, in the outdoor area of the EOW site.

Tobeachild

Children have a completely different approach to discovering and perceiving our world. Casually played Games can give us a glimpse of their special view of the world surrounding us. They build alternate worlds and secret escapes just in their heads. Sometimes their reality can differ so much from our own, we might even perceive their naive views as a distortion of reality. But is it really their view, which is distorted or is it indeed our own? The world they build can be an important refuge, a special place where they can freely pursue and develop their fantasies and creativity.The way we as adults perceive our world, sometimes keeps us away from all of that.
But is the way we see our world more realistic than theirs? Do we have the right to say „Just grow up!“ Or „You’ll know better when you’re older?“
I treated the waistcoat as a found object, I dissected it, analyzed it. Seen through my adult eyes, the waistcoat morphs from a playful tool of discovery into a research object. But still remains an object of fascination. For me the object itself emits fascination in the eyes of a child; it acts as an agent of fascination enabling future ventures. 

D.ANTS

Once upon a time, in a land not too far away, there lived four diligent ants. They spent their sunny summer days bustling about, preparing for the cold embrace of winter. You see, ants are incredible at getting things done. They never waste a moment, always focused on their tasks at hand. And these four ants were no different. Side by side, they worked, ate, dreamed, and cried together, united by a single purpose: caring for their precious colony.

These diligent ants thrived in their work, finding fulfillment in their efficiency. They knew that their tireless efforts set them apart from all other creatures. Each day, they carried their vital "chemicals of life," a signal to their comrades that they were alive and ready to contribute. Trusting one another implicitly, they relied on their teamwork to fulfill their duties. And when one of them passed away, their fading chemicals warned the others to swiftly remove the body before decomposition could set in, safeguarding the colony's well-being.

But one day, something happened. Before winter’s arrival, one of the ants became very burned out and tired, all the constant marching had exhausted it. Its special chemicals started to disappear, and the dying ant faced its deepest fear—death itself.

This very one day, in a land not too far away, the other three diligent ants had to add one more thing to their routine tasks: the immediate removal of their dead comrade.

And of course… The living ones lived happily ever after.

THE END

Based on a true story
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/the-signals-of-life-ants-use-chemical-messages-to-avoid-getting-trashed

sonic temple

Site-specific listening and meditation exercises in the middle of the sonic environment of the EOW grounds in Weimar. Never before have our ears been flooded with so many sounds in everyday urban life. Thus we live in a time when the environment, the working environment and the personal environment in all areas of life are shaped more than ever by sound in both a positive and negative sense. Common and active listening as a practice of collective attention to the natural environment once give space and time. As a place for deceleration and the observation of acoustic sound ecologies, the "sonic temple" invites us to pause and listen to the symphony of an industrial wasteland in its renaturation environment.
The solar-powered and mobile 8-channel sound installation "Soletti" supports the "sonic temple" with its electro-acoustic reproduction of the surroundings and gives the place an auditory and immersive experience.

Where existence falters

Am I truly in the right place?

Being in the transformed place where nature and industry coexist, which was once human-dominated, can be paradoxical. While the EOW was once a place of human activity and prosperity, it now stands as an empty space contributing to the return of nature. However, non-human others have now taken their place, alongside the ceaseless movement of students exploring the area.
If you find yourself staring blankly at this area under the sunlight, the scene may feel nonsensical from a logical perspective. Yet, it also raises questions about whether it is the "right place" for us. At the same time, this moment may even resemble an error or glitch, an abnormal occurrence.
The artwork visualizes the digital errors discovered within nature through TouchDesigner. It manifests as a continuous expansion, contraction, and distortion based on the luminosity data of the time when students were researching the area. Through this artwork, audiences are invited to share the experience of the glitch moment and its relationship to the sunlight.

Stamped Land

Stamped Land uses collected dried natural materials from EOW-Site to
create an image on the wall by using the traditional ´loam rendering´.
The wall originally was a door. Its frame is still visible and is
transformed into a picture frame.

Returning Earth

Returning Earth deals with the phenomenon of existence and disappearance
of a stamped image on a piece of rammed earth. Water drops onto the
piece and resolves the image. The process returns the material into the
soil during the exhibition.