Dear friends of GEH8,

with fast steps we are approaching the end of the year 2022 and look back on 12 months full of highlights in the GEH8. In contrast to the two previous years, it was finally possible to offer a multifaceted program again. In the now familiar manner, a varied arc was spanned, from visual arts to music to film. In different sections and formats, GEH8 was able to demonstrate what it has to offer as an art and cultural center.

Under our annual motto Construction Time Again, we thematized the necessary reconstruction of existing conditions and thus addressed important social issues, which was reflected in particular in our community-oriented, artistic-urban activities on the grounds of the Old Leipzig Station and in the group exhibition under construction, which dealt in a broader sense with the re- and new construction of existing space and material and gathered ten visual artistic positions.

For five summery weeks, the artists of the international art project IPIHAN pitched their tents with us and transformed GEH8 into a performative art camp. The 12th edition of the project infiltrated the area of the Old Leipzig Station. Site-specific artworks were created, which, in a deliberate combination of art and landscape, once again highlighted the potential of the site as an informal open space. This was also the subject of the work of the art and architecture collective Cabanon Vertical from Marseille, who in the project La poésie de l’espace dealt with the poetic content of the Alte Leipziger Bahnhof and succeeded in identifying special situational places and allowing local actors to participate in their working methods.

In addition to these in-house project developments, we were also able to carry out a variety of other artistic and cultural activities, whether in our annually recurring formats or through successful cooperation with various project partners, to whom we were able to offer space for their projects. This year, the Kunst.Raum.Konzerte (Art.Space.Concerts) once again combined sound-, image- and space-based arts. At the 4th Amplifier Art Film Festival, young artists from universities in the new German states were able to show what they have to offer in the genre of artistic short films. Our international cooperation with Dresden’s twin city Columbus was continued and supplemented by the city of Ostrava in the Czech Republic. In June, GEH8 opened its doors to visitors, who were able to gain insight into the 10 studios of GEH8 artists. The international film festival ELBE DOCK took place for the second time in our halls and presented film students and debut as well as second films of filmmakers from Central Europe. 

After the completed renovations in the WERKRaum, the artists of GEH8 were able to present their work there again this year. With the insertion of a large glass pane, visitors were able to view art from the street side at any time. The concept of Pecha Kucha lectures was continued in cooperation with the Zentralwerk and the Kreative Werkstatt and offered exciting and creative insights into projects of artists and cultural workers in Dresden. The winning design of the design competition Real Insect Estate with the fancy insect hotel UNTERSCHLUPF² as art on building, could finally be realized by the winner Mareike de Boer on the facade of GEH8! In summer, the music festival Fête macht mobil! took place for the second time. This year, numerous musicians made the hall shake and provided a bass-heavy experience between different music genres.

After two years of pandemic, the 8th Dresden Artists’ Fair could finally take place. GEH8 was represented by the artists Sara Hoppe, Claudia Kleiner, Thomas Judisch and Michael Merkel, who donated 20% of the proceeds to the Ukraine-Kindernothilfe of UNICEF. In cooperation with Kultur Aktiv e.V. we showed the short film collection Mariupol, I love you in the benefit screening. The films were shot by residents of the city of Mariupol in 2017-2021, with scenes that told about everyday life, dreams and relationships, and showed how they were affected by the first phase of the war. As part of the Czech-German Cultural Days and in the name of friendship between the cultural institutions GEH8, Kultur Aktiv e.V. and Veřejný sál Hraničář, the two hiking and mountain enthusiasts Michael Merkel and Marcus Oertel (BSG Bergsucht) invited people to join them on the hike and set out on the 67km trail to Ústí nad Labem.

In addition to all of these, numerous other events took place at our company, which could only be realized thanks to the support of sponsors and committed people. We would like to express our sincere thanks for this and are already looking forward to experiencing art and culture together again next year. Then it will be SPACE IS THE CASE.

 – Happy holidays and a happy new year from the GEH8 team –