Mercator Island
Night shot of NAUMON ship / Photo: Andreu Adrover
Named after famous Duisburg cartographer Gerhard Mercator, a former staging island at the confluence of the Rhine and Ruhr is to undergo a transformation financed with the generous support of the Duisburg trading and service company Haniel. The former harbour location is to be converted into a high-quality park facility and culture venue par excellence.
The results of the international "Mercator Island Competition" will be presented in an exhibition at the turn of the year 2009/2010. The construction work is due to begin in June 2010 and completed in the Mercator jubilee year of 2012. The Mercator Island park will then be available for use to the public and organisers of cultural events. In 2010, on the occasion of the 33rd Duisburger Akzente festival, the legendary Catalan theatre group La Fura dels Baus will give a performance on the site of the future cultural islet. This spectacular reinterpretation of an old industrial site is one of the central contributions by Duisburg to the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010.
La Fura dels Baus will open Duisburg's "Local Heroes" week and also the 33rd Duisburger Akzente with a sensational performance of "Global Rheingold". "Rheingold" in the "Fura" version marks the beginning of the ten-day project "ruhrort(t)räume" in the Ruhrort port district. For the Rheingold performance, a homage to both Richard Wagner and Gerhard Mercator, the 60 metre long ship "Naumon" is to be recast as a floating stage. An arena for 60 trapeze artists, an orchestra, fireworks and gigantic figures measuring 9 metres in height will also be on show. "La Fura" call this kind of performance "Naumaquia" in reference to the re-enactment of sea battles of antiquity once performed in amphitheatres.
May 2010
Mercator Island, Duisburg-Ruhrort
May 21, 2010: Opening event preluding Duisburg’s "Local Heroes" week
Main project sponsor: Haniel
You can find further information (in German) at:
www.duisburger-akzente.de