Newsletter 98 from 02/28/2008

International Building Exhibition (IBA) Fürst-Pückler-Land

1. Lure of the lake: She-devil Lucie at launch of new season
2. Adventurous: The IBA 2008 Tour Programme
3. Occupied: The office of Muskau Arch Geopark
4. Displayed: Lusatian interim landscapes in Lanzarote
5. Intrigued by: The hand reaching towards Pritzen
6. Amazed: Lusatian Lakeland a hit with tour operators
7. Presented: Ideas for the 2010 Art Project
8. Focused: "MetroProvinz" at Beeskow Castle

(1) Lure of the lake:

She-devil Lucie at launch of new season

With the press conference marking the start of the IBA's "Lusatia: Lure of the Lakes" theme year due to be held on 19 March 2008 at 10:00 hours, the IBA Fürst-Pückler Land is inviting all interested parties in the region to the opening launch of the tourist season on 20 March 2008. A cultural extravaganza is lined up for visitors to building 1 on the IBA Terraces between 15:00 and 19:00 hours. Visitors can take a tour of the Lusatian Lakeland in the company of the lake she-devil, Lucie, or of Prince von Pückler, and can visit the "Seensucht" children's theatre. It will also be possible to visit a new exhibition profiling ten lakes at the heart of the lakeland, which will be linked by navigable waterways in the future. The IBA team can supply information on its seasonal programme of tours and events from March to October, and on projects and plans lined up for the theme year. Adventurers can use the IBA tour service for a free "Trip to Mars". We look forward to seeing you!

(2) Adventurous:

The IBA 2008 Tour Programme

The IBA is all geared up to present the tour programme for March to October at the launch of the tourist season on 20 March 2008. "From wasteland to water" is a professionally-escorted cycle and raft tour to Sedlitz Lake. The "IBA-Blicks Tour" will show you an interesting cross-section of some IBA projects, including the Slavonic fortress of Raddusch, the floating diving school on Gräbendorf Lake, the IBA Terraces, the F60 visitor mine and the heritage landscape of Pritzen. The "Linger in the Lusatian Lakeland" tour takes you from the IBA Terraces to the landmark, to new navigable canals and to the first floating house. The "Jeep safari” in and around Welzow-Süd open-cast mine" is a thrilling adventure promising breathtaking views of bizarre landscapes and gigantic mining engineering equipment. Guests on the "Coal, creative art and lakeland" tour will enjoy impressive testimonies to Lusatia’s 150 years of industrial heritage. The "Trip to Mars" in the former Meuro open-cast mine at the foot of the IBA Terraces and on the bed of Ilse Lake will show how quickly the water is coming.

(3) Occupied:

The office of Muskau Arch Geopark

On 3 March 2008 Muskau Arch Geopark gets its official office in Döbern, to be run by a new project team member. It has been possible to gain funding from the regional budget of the district of Spree-Neisse for a staffed office for an initial period of 12 months. Sponsored by the Muskau Arch Geopark Development Association, Thomas Kockert will assume a variety of organisational responsibilities. This shows how worthwhile efforts have been by the IBA, the German and Polish Muskau Arch Geopark Development Association and the district of Lower Silesian Upper Lusatia Development Society to make an attraction of the unique geological formations in the triangle formed by Brandenburg, Saxony and the Lebus region (Poland). It is also hoped that the recently submitted request for membership of the European Network of Geoparks, in which the Muskau Arch Geopark would be the first transnational geopark, will succeed.

http://www.muskauer-faltenbogen.de

(4) Displayed:

Lusatian interim landscapes in Lanzarote

On 28 February 2008 the privately run "César Manrique Foundation" is showing monumental landscape pictures of the Lusatian mining region at the opening ceremony of the "Great European Landscapes" exhibition in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. The theme centres around a variety of landscaping projects in Europe, in countries like Switzerland, France, Spain and Germany. The impressive pictures of the IBA Fürst-Pückler-Land landscaping projects, the biggest in Europe, are featured alongside the landscaped park of Duisburg Nord, which was developed within the IBA Emscher Park. The photographs convey a vivid impression of the dimensions of the changing landscape. A conference on the role of landscaping within the context of European development is also being held as part of this large-scale exhibition. The "Great European Landscapes" exhibition can be seen until 27 April 2008 in Lanzarote. It will then tour Europe.

http://www.fcmanrique.org

(5) Intrigued by:

The hand reaching towards Pritzen

American landscape artist Charles Jencks and landscape architect Andreas Kipar were met with an enthusiastic reception when they unveiled their idea for the Altdöbern work of landscape art on 21 February 2008. They wish to create a giant hand from the waste heap at Altdöbern Lake, which will open out in a symbolic gesture towards the town of Pritzen on the opposite side. "The future in this place will be born of past memories", explained Kipar. "The idea is to restore the connection to the places affected and so lost forever by the reclamation." The hand also clasps an area of parkland, symbolically depicted by Jencks as a setting for a precious stone like a brooch. The use of this to form more "green hands" is supposed to allude to the nine IBA landscaped islands.
It is thought that initial filling could start as soon as 2009 after slope compaction work is finished. It is hoped to have the earth sculpture ready by 2011. Kipar and Jencks have started work in Altdöbern at the instigation of the IBA expert advisory committee.

(6) Amazed:

Lusatian Lakeland a hit with tour operators

On 23 February 2008, 40 tour operators from Saxony, Thuringia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hamburg and Austria travelled to the Lusatian Lakeland in order to gain a picture of its tourist attractions and scenic charms. The fact-finding tour was organised by the Lindner Congress Hotel Cottbus and the IBA. Many of the participants were highly enthusiastic. Inge and Franz Eder from Vienna were impressed by the dimensions of mining and the strong pull of the post-mining landscape. Franz Eder is sure that "the emerging waterscape will draw its charm from the canals and the unique profiles of each lake." His wife praised the integrated planning concept for the new landscape. Ursula Silbernagel will be offering her clients tours in Lusatia in the future. "I can well imagine school trips coming here," was the reaction of the lady from Oberwesel in Rhineland-Palatinate. "This could be a really effective way of showing young people the effort involved in energy production." The tour took in the working open-cast mine Welzow-Süd, the heart of the lakeland, canal construction sites, the IBA Terraces and the F60 visitor mine. The IBA is planning more promotional tours with the Lower Lusatia tourism association and the Upper Lusatia marketing company.

(7) Presented:

Ideas for the 2010 Art Project

The IBA 2010 Art Project is the brainchild of Jürg Montalta and has tentatively been entitled "People of Lusatia". The Swiss artist is inviting all interested citizens to the third public workshop at the IBA offices on 11 March 2008 between 16:00 and 18:00 hours. Once initial investigations are complete, Montalta will report on the impressions he has gained from more than 120 interviews and from research into IBA projects. Previous workshops have been met with keen interest from the public. This time people can also bring their own ideas and requests. Jürg Montalta and his team can be contacted from Monday to Friday between 14:00 and 17:00 hrs in the IBA art office, telephone 035753-370 292, e-mail urbanek@iba-see.de.

(8) Focused:

"MetroProvinz" at Beeskow Castle

Berlin photographic artist Hitch is extending an invitation to the gallery of Beeskow Castle on 15 March 2008 to the art-house film and information programme for his "MetroProvinz" exhibition, of which he is also curator. The exhibition of his artwork, which documents the transformation of our environment in 90 retrospective photographs, installations and objects, is divided into four parts: metropolis, province, landscape scars and sand shadows. The art-house film programme ties in with a guided tour of the exhibition. The films shown will be "80000 SHOTS", which focuses on construction work in Potsdamer Platz, and the silent but nonetheless formidable piece of celluloid "Rauchzeichen" (smoke signals). This takes the viewer on a poetic journey following the traces of lignite mining in Lusatia. In addition, IBA Director Prof. Dr. Rolf Kuhn will be talking about the IBA projects covered in the exhibition, such as the Lauchhammer bio-towers, the F60 visitor mine and Plessa cultural power station. The exhibition, due to run until 6 April 2008, is being held as part of the 2008 year of culture "Province and metropolis - metropolis and province", organised by the Kulturland Brandenburg network association.

http://www.hitch-art.de
http://www.burg-beeskow.de