Review dialogue field 1

We are delighted that the finale of the first Dialogue Field 2025 was once again great! Valentin Mici lovingly designed a particularly inviting outdoor exhibition. Shubhangi Singh served ice cream, which was not only delicious, but also told stories. Maja Simišić crowned the day with a performance on the theatre square, where she performed a song somewhere between a love song and a break-up song. Time to look back for a moment!

Shubhangi Singh travelled from Helsinki and Maja Simišić from Amsterdam for a 6-week residency with us on the Sonnenberg. Chemnitz photographer Valentin Mici accompanied them with a local perspective. After five weeks of exchange with each other, with residents and actors in the city, their own research, joint visits to public places, exhibitions, bars, clubs, studios, second-hand shops and snack bars, the moment of publicly announced exchange arrived. There had already been conversations and encounters with many Chemnitz residents, but this time visitors were invited to experience the artistic interventions directly and become part of them.

On the first Saturday of the Intervention Week (19 April), the artists in residence took a walk together with interested visitors and showed them places that had become important to them during the weeks of their residency. These were places where they frequently spent time, had special encounters or that were connected to their projects. On site, they talked about their work processes and gave insights into what they would present as an intervention in public space the following Saturday. The artists led the group of visitors from the Sonnenberg-Netto, via the Sonnenberg sundial and the playground on Rüdiger-Alberti-Platz, to the Gießer-Eck snack bar.

On the second Saturday of the intervention week (26 April), the artists were visible with their actions and performances on the Sonnenberg and beyond in the urban space.

These were days full of discussions, encounters and inspiration. During the research, the co-creative production process and, last but not least, during the public presentation, the artists and local people exchanged personal and European perspectives on the reality of our lives and, in some cases, forged intensive connections. We are delighted with the openness and interest shown by the visitors and, above all, the participating artists. We would like to thank all the residents of the Sonnenberg involved in the project, the staff of the Chemnitz Botanical Garden, Cassandra Schramm, Jamie Mulcahy and Radarstudios for their technical support, as well as the Chemnitz Open Space of the Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz and a wonderful backing band that we would love to hear more of.