During the last week, there were some excursions and a lot of time spent in the studio to make a start on artworks. The other three artists and I went on a tour of the inner city of Ascherleben. During the tour, we had an overview of the city’s history while walking among the historical buildings. I find being able to see the multiple layers of older buildings makes the city fascinating. They are living examples of the evolution of the city. The environment grows and changes organically, with many of the older structures stoically remaining embedded amongst it. As such, the older buildings become part of the modern city today and into the future. Towards the end of the tour, we climbed up one of the surviving towers from the old city wall and took in the views of the city, der Rebenturm. The Raven Tower was built in 1442 and is 32 metres high.
After the tour, we met for dinner with some of the sponsors for the residency at an Italian restaurant, Trattoria pizzeria Rondell la Grotta Aschersleben, situated in das Rondell. I enjoyed a regional dark beer, a salad and a pizza. It’s an interesting and nice setting, as the Rondell is a bastion built during the 16th century and was part of the old city wall.
On another day, we went on a tour of the Novo-Tech factory, producer of products such as Megawood. Before the tour, there was a presentation. Afterwards, Novo-tech founder and CEO Holger Sasse gave each artist a copy of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, by German chemist Michael Braungart and US architect William McDonough. You can see some snapshots from the tour below. Also below are photos of Gyeore and me visiting the market in Stadt Park and some showing how the artwork is progressing.
Simon Sieradzki 