Begehungen Art Festival - Open Call

Swimming pools such as the former Erzgebirge pool are built as places for diversion, relaxation, fun and, last but not least, for sporting activities. They are places for ageless, classless fun in swimsuits, bikinis and swim shorts.

Considering the location, "PLANSCH" was chosen as the theme of the 2022 festival.

In this specific case, the place is associated with a deep experience of loss for the people of Thalheim. The reason: Swimming pools are important social reference points, especially in small town structures. When it opened, the Erzgebirgsbad was the first of its kind in the region and was well frequented for many years. Later, however, other baths with a similar profile were built in the immediate vicinity. As a result, the number of visitors fell, and the city of Thalheim, once a glorious location for the textile industry and secret "stocking capital" of the GDR, lost almost half of its population.

Almost all industrial companies in the city closed in the years after the political change. The city shrank, especially young people moved away. As a result, the financial situation of the city itself deteriorated, but the costs of maintaining the bath increased. The bath, which was once built with pride, threatened to pull the community financially into the abyss. The pool was closed in 2014 amid protests and has been empty ever since. For a short time, it was used as accommodation for refugees, also accompanied by protests.

But that was the end of almost 100 years of history, because the forerunners of the Erzgebirge baths were created in the early 1920s. The closure and possible reopening of the pool have been discussed in the community ever since. The identification potential of the bathroom is therefore enormous.

Open call

Via the Open Call, we are looking for artists of all genres and forms of expression who feel inspired by the location and the annual theme "PLANSCH". Participation is possible both in the form of a residency and with submitted works. When applying for a residency of up to four weeks, a coherent concept must be submitted that describes both the work being created and how it will be implemented. We are very interested in participatory processes with local people (including artists, of course). Ideas that take this wish into account are very welcome, but not a requirement.

We are aiming for an exhibition with 20 to 30 works. The exhibition is a central part of the art festival, which is also created through concerts, readings, lectures and other formats.

Fees and materials:

• Artists of selected submissions will receive an expense allowance of €300.00 + postage costs (submissions) .
• Residency artists receive an expense allowance of €2,500.00 for a four-week residency and a budget of up to €1,000.00 for materials. Arrival and departure costs will be reimbursed and free accommodation will be provided.

In the case of shorter residence periods, the expense allowance and the budget for material resources are reduced proportionately.

Application basis is:

• the fully completed online form, which can be found at www.begehungen-festival.eu
• documentation of the work(s) to be exhibited, including their thematic link to the festival (submissions)
• a short project outline for the work that is to be created in Thalheim and refers to the festival area / the exhibition areas / the topic (residences)
• a short portfolio of previous work (digital)
• a short vita

The inspection team will advise on the selection of applications and make the decision to participate.

The deadline for the application is March 20, 2022, 11:59 p.m

We will announce the result in early May 2022.