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On May 29th, 2010,l the culture capital?s largest art project will be opened. Visitors will have 100 days to explore the eight exhibition rooms on Emscher Island, comprising 20 solo, duo and group works of 40 artists. In the most unique premises, i.e. in former water treatment plants, in sluices, in the canal or in industrial brownfields, such pieces as a mobile dwelling (a
?walking house?), a hobby ornithologist?s station, a ?singing? mountain, a community garden or a wandering puppet theatre can be found. Internationally renowned artists such as Rita McBride, Jeppe Hein and Tadashi Kawamata or Monica Bonvicini, Olaf Nicolai and Douglas Gordon have accepted the task and have acquainted themselves with the locations and the region over several visits the last few months.
 
The central theme of the exhibition curated by Florian Matzner is the post-industrial change in function of the northern Ruhr river area, and the changes to the sanitation canals in the Emscher to be completed by 2020 ? one of the world?s largest re-naturalisation projects. In the exhibition EMSCHERKUNST (?EMSCHERART?), the artists seek to accompany and discuss these fundamental economic and ecological changes via the fantasy and creativity of their interventions.
 
In the summer of 2010, to give only three examples, several structures will be erected: a monumental wall mosaic on the outer hull of a former sanitation digestion tower in the Herne by Frankfurt artist Silke Wagner, or a painting made of flowers and shrubs in a former clarifier from the Dutch artist Piet Oudolf. An artistic and urban planning highlight of the exhibition is the 400-meter-long sculpture from Tobias Rehberger at Oberhausen castle, which also functions as a bridge overpass for pedestrians and bicyclists to reach Emscher Island.
 
The artists? works for the exhibition, however, are not their only contact with the region. The creators of the exhibition are dependent on local experts as well as on the participation of the local communities. Many projects aren?t just there to be seen, but rather also invite participation and co-creation.


A project of the European Culture Capital Ruhr.2010
May 29th to September 5th, 2010
 
Location: Emscher island between Castrop-Rauxel and Oberhausen
Curator: Prof. Dr. Florian Matzner (Munich)

www.emscherkunst.de