Gegen den Wind beweist sich die Freundschaft // Against the wind proves the friendship.
German Proverb
German artist Gabriele Konsor is the founder of Landmade; an interdisciplinary cultural platform that links regional conditions with current social issues in her village of Strodehne in rural Havelland/Brandenburg. Through Partnerlook!, the intention was to establish a long-term creative partnership between Landmade and Deveron Projects post Brexit.
The project ask questions such as: What do traditional patterns tell us about ourselves? What can we learn through the exchange of materials and designs with different cultures? How closely are socio-political patterns in either culture linked? How can art develop new common patterns for the future? What are the ingredients for long-term international partnership in the local-global context?
As part of this process with the two communities, Strodehne and Huntly, multiple events and interventions to connect individuals and groups from both locations were planned. In Germany, a 90k pilgrimage was co-curated by Claudia Zeiske – walking with Strodehne women from their village to the Fashion Museum in Meyenburg over 3 days. The project hoped to make connections through design, walking, dancing and other creative forms of celebration to develop new and sustainable patterns of collaboration. The question of what are the personal, communal and artistic needs to form sustainable partnerships remains in the open for people to answer in different ways.
Photography: Bianka Stolz
