The International Art Group and Phantom Gallery Chicago, and the Lunkenheimer Gallery presented "Berlin Chicago Kaleidoscope Cultures Connecting" at Mauersegler Park, on Saturday, July 16, 2011, 8pm - 10pm, Sommergarten, Bernauer Strasse 63-64, 13355 Berlin, http://www.mauersegler-berlin.de/
Host- Sylvio Kruger, owner of the Mauersegler Park Kultur, sponsored the project with space and technical support. This park is located in the memorial space where the Berlin Wall once separated people. "Cultures Connecting" Chicago artist held discussions with Berlin artist about that era of their lives, and how, at that moment, they were able to walk through it, and help knock it down.
Susan Fox, of Elastic Sound and Vision Gallery, presented "Intersections" by Hanah Jon Taylor.
Hannah Jon Taylor performed in this alternative venue, the SommerGarten, which was not the traditional venue for a jazz artist from Chicago, but he approached it as an adventure, and was willing to truly improvise with Berlin artist Daniel Goritz, and Dan Casillas (Chicago); neither one of these "Cats" knew each other. They gathered for a pow-wow about 1/2 hour before their performance, which was new to all of them. But music is a universal language, and they vibed off each other.
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Berlin musician Daniel Goritz and Dan Casillas (Chicago)  |
Alan Emerson Hicks presented his Plastic Bombs, Destruction of Video Tapes, "Run Lola Run", which was a huge hit, because of the soundtrack, and the energy he brought to the performance. This was climactic for Alan, as he was working it out with me to make the "Intersection" of "Kaleidoscope" happen.
Jayve John Montgomery
Jayve John Montgomery flew into Berlin at 2:15 PM and was at the park before we made it there, set up and ready to go. He, on the spot, put his presentation together, "The United States of America", "Kaleidoscope," his filming of Berlin from the airport in the taxi to the "Wall Park", adding images from Chicago's landscape, dubbing to his computer ended the night.
Jayve John Montgomery
"I thinking working with these guys was a experience. I had to trouble-shoot, they had to trouble-shoot, as I'm not a producer/promoter so to speak. I had to find my own location to present "Berlin Chicago Kaleidoscope", musicians that were to play canceled, the gallery canceled the venue while we were on our way to Berlin. Cell-phones were off, Iphones didn't work, we had to resort to using pay phones, and ESP. Our computers ran out of power, artists blew circuits, ran out of adaptors, couldn't find a simple boom-box even. You name it, it happened. But, on Saturday the sun came out and gave us a wonderful day, a perfect day, we all got together and sent out "Positive Vibrations" until the police shut it down at 10pm."Visual artists had our own area set up in front of the stage, painting the "vibrations sound narratives" of these performing artists, who were up for an international art adventure, and creating art to be presented for October's exhibitions during Chicago Artists Month.
Lewis Rice, International Art Group
Renata Bummer, Pankow Berlin
