From 7 to 15 October 2022, Common Water’s third creative lab took place in Hamburg. The artistic team of Ole Meergans, Lisa Siomicheva and Alexandar Hadjiev worked with local people in a series of workshops, followed by five days of individual artistic work. The lab concluded with an open session to present the results and share insights.
“The Baltic Sea connects many different people, with different perspectives and perceptions.”
“The Common Water project has brought great, honest conversations and exchanges with many different people.”
During the first two days in Hamburg, the artistic team worked with the community, using connecting and storytelling practices focusing on collective memories and shared stories. We discussed our experiences of the sea; the similarities and differences in how we perceive it; and the sounds, colours and textures that it brings to mind.
The artistic team then worked individually to produce the final installation at Zinnschmelze cultural centre. Each artist worked with their primary medium: Ole explored shapes and created new forms and sculptures; while Alex worked with soundscapes and explored the musical pieces created by female composers living and working in the Baltic states.
The final exhibition included sketches by the workshop participants, polystyrene and plaster models by Ole Meergans, and QR codes linked to sound and musical pieces by Alex Hadjiev. Participants listened to the sounds while looking at the visual forms and drawings, and in doing so created their own unique interactions between the individually produced artworks.
“The Baltic waters are strongly connected with childhood memories for me – with family time and the joy of being close to nature.”
Germany
