GastGastGeber
A creative, cultural project of discovery, networking and building conversion from the Netherlands
"Blob" by Dutch designer Jurgen Bey / Photo: General Consulate NL/Arno Pronk
Here's to good neighbours: in 2010 the culture and creative scene of the Netherlands will also be widely represented in the Ruhr Metropolis, with contributions from Dutch theatre, music, the fine arts, architecture and design and also the new media and the creative economy. Although - strictly speaking - they are guests in the Ruhr region, they themselves sometimes fall into the role of host - a "guest host", which is what "GastGastgeber" means.
For those who have ever found themselves spending the night in an otherwise empty building or who wanted to camp out in a warehouse, the "GastGastgeber" project can possibly offer the ideal place for the night. The Dutch architects and designers involved will be creating some outlandish "accommodation units" at selected locations in Oberhausen, Essen, Bochum, Dortmund and on Emscher Island, ready to welcome guests from May to October 2010.
Unused buildings or areas will also be awakened from their dormancy and converted into must-see attractions. Always temporary in nature, sometimes even mobile, the concepts will nevertheless be deliberately aligned to complement and overlap other RUHR.2010 projects such as "EmscherArt 2010", "B1|A40" and "Creative.Quarters" that likewise offer a new take on the apparently familiar. Through this approach, places of creative exchange between the Netherlands, the Ruhr Metropolis and guests from throughout the world will come into being.
Hence "GastGastgeber" lodgings are more than just places to sleep - they are also places to see, playgrounds, and markets for exchanging ideas. And given that we are talking here about Dutch "guest hosts", you can expect the odd bicycle to also be included in the concept.
May - October 2010
Oberhausen, Essen, Emscher Island, Bochum, Dortmund
Admission free
The Oberhausen lodgings are situated at the gateway to the Ruhr: the first port of call in Germany for high-speed ICE trains from the Netherlands. Oberhausen, currently in the throes of a difficult transformation process from heavy industry to a new economy, offers numerous points of contact for topics relating to architecture, urban development and landscape art. GastGastgeber itself is housed in the former water tower of Oberhausen’s main railway station, within the premises of KiT e. V., the artists' association located here. Jurgen Bey has developed visitor accommodation with eight beds on the fourth floor. Here visitors can undertake an exciting voyage of discovery through rooms such as the library room, the vase room and the dining room, all of which are furnished with functional items of Dutch design. The accommodation includes breakfast in the form of a voucher that can be redeemed at the bakery shop in the railway station.
The Dortmund lodgings are situated in one of the Ruhr's largest cities. The former "Dortmunder Union" brewery, whose characteristic "U" tower is still visible from the city centre, is currently being converted into a centre for the creative industry. In future, the "U" Tower will host exhibitions, fairs and other events. The programme in Dortmund focuses on the topics of new media, e-culture, fashion design and youth culture. In a street near the Dortmund U, Gilian Schrofer has furnished eight empty flats as an ode to "100 years of Dutch design" for the GastGastgeber project.
For further information about the accommodation: www.nl-ruhr.de/Gast.Gastgeber
Reservations and information: gast@gastgastgeber.org
Accommodation from € 60 per person per night.
Partner: General Consulate of the Netherlands, Düsseldorf, DutchDFA
You can find further information at:
www.gastgastgeber.de
www.nl-ruhr.de
Related topics:
EmscherArt 2010
B1|A40
Creative.Quarters