urban land art
local exhibition projects
urban photography projects
urban regeneration projects
social integration projects
arts education projects
artistic research projects
urban literature projects
multi-annual international projects
site specific interventions
awareness campaign development
rigorous investigation approach
real estate development
agile development methods
flux and change
food for thought
ARTIST RESIDENCY WOLWEDANS
MIREILLE R. CHAMPAGNE
Mireille R. Champagne utilizes natural mediums to create her artwork
During her residency at Wolwedans from November 7 to December 2, 2024, Mireille connected with the environment of the Namib Desert.
She explored the diverse ecosystems and terrain of the Namibrand Nature Reserve, collecting plants, minerals, and other organic materials to experiment with and extract pigments for her artwork. Drawing upon her specialized training in Fine Art, which included in-depth studies of pigments and ancient oil-making techniques, she employed traditional methods to process these raw materials into vibrant colours and rich oils.
By integrating natural charcoal and handmade pigments into her artistic process, Mireille deepened her connection to the arid landscape and imbued her on-site artwork with a sense of authenticity and reverence for the environment. Through this approach, she not only created visually compelling pieces but also honoured the natural resources found in the Namib Desert—truly embodying a site-specific artist residency experience.
In addition to her passion for utilizing natural mediums in her artistic practice, Mireille immersed herself in the community and fully embraced the Wolwedans experience during her three weeks in the staff village. Through collaborative learning and exchange, she was able to create works that resonate with the spirit and values of Wolwedans. This culminated in a comprehensive body of work where she drew inspiration from what is known as the “5C’s” of Wolwedans—Community, Commerce, Culture, Conservation, and Consciousness—to produce a series of paintings using eco-friendly, self-made oil pigments derived from desert resources on canvas made from retired bed sheets sourced from Wolwedans’ hospitality business.
Mireille R. Champagne, born in Quebec, Canada, is an artist whose fascination with faces and hands began in childhood, leading her to a modeling career that transformed her face into a canvas for artistic expression. Immersed in the world of magazine imagery, she translated these faces into drawings and later pursued a Fine Arts degree at Concordia University in Montreal. Her artistic journey has taken her across diverse landscapes and cultures, including a year in China, while also showcasing her work in various cultural centers, galleries, and public art shows. Mireille’s commitment to artistic exploration has led her to several international art residencies in locations such as Portugal, Miami, France, Morocco, and in late 2024 Namibia.
NOVEMBER 2024
FUTURES LITERACY
The future is not predictable! Unfortunately… or rather, fortunately. Because otherwise, the world would be very boring. Who enjoys going to the cinema after a spoiler alert?
Futures literacy is not about predicting the future; rather, it is about exploring possible futures and consciously choosing paths toward desirable directions. It is about foresight regarding what is possible, not about making predictions. We are aware that some things are beyond our control. It is about exploring possibilities and thus thinking ahead. This kind of thinking helps us seize emerging opportunities and makes us more resilient to risks. With this type of strategic foresight, we are well-prepared: we can begin to actively shape and take action.
Being futures-literate empowers the imagination. It enhances our ability to prepare, recover and invent in the face of change.
Is your artistic work tackling current issues at stake such as climate change, migration,
gender, justice or digitalisation?
Are you working in the field of arts and education?
Are you an artist or a cultural practitioner looking to expand your skills, get trained on Futures Literacy and have the opportunity to transform this concept in your work?
We are excited to announce a series of workshops designed just for you!
For more information click here.
Submit your application by filling out our Typeform here.
THU, January 9, 2025 - February 6, 2025 (for afternoon sessions)
SAT, January 11, 2025 - February 8, 2025 (for morning sessions)
ARTIST RESIDENCY WOLWEDANS
Hage Nasheotwalwa Mukwendje
Painter, illustrator, and graphic designer from Namibia
Born in 1990 in Okalongo, located in the northern part of Namibia near the Angolan border and based in Windhoek, Hage stands out as one of the country’s most innovative artists. He skillfully blends various art forms to create a distinctive artistic style that reflects his unique perspective.
His work is deeply inspired by people—their emotions, reactions, and everyday lives. One of the most captivating elements of Hage’s art is his use of newspaper collages. Initially a practical solution to his color blindness, this technique has evolved into an essential storytelling device that adds layers of depth to his creations.
Hage was selected for the Wolwedans Foundation Artist Residency in the heart of the Namib Desert, where he contributed to this year’s theme: People, Planet, and Plastic. At Wolwedans, sustainability is not merely an initiative; it is the very essence of who they are.
Recognized by The Long Run as a Global Ecosphere Retreat, Wolwedans is dedicated to promoting an inclusive and holistic approach to conservation that enhances livelihoods and fosters intercultural dialogue.
During his residency at Wolwedans, Hage experimented with various materials found in the desert to create a unique art piece composed of items salvaged from the lodges’ scrap yard and natural Namibian sand. This artwork will serve as a cornerstone for the Heart&Home tour at Wolwedans, offering guests an opportunity to glimpse into the machinery room of a purpose-driven hospitality business designed to help them disconnect and reconnect with themselves, nature, and humanity.
Hage Mukwendje’s work has been showcased at various prestigious venues, including the Bank Windhoek Triennale, the National Art Gallery of Namibia in Windhoek (2014), the Sound of Origin Festival at Universitätsklinikum Jena in Germany (2018), and the Semperoper Dresden in Germany (2018). He has also exhibited at the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre (FNCC) in Windhoek (2019) and at the UN House as part of an exhibition program organized by the World Health Organization in Windhoek (2022), among others.
In October 2020, Hage was a member of the artistic team for the GAMES FOR OUR COMMON FUTURE project held at Wolwedans. This initiative was launched by Urban Dialogues and funded by the Goethe Institut Namibia and the Wolwedans Foundation.
In 2021, he received an invitation to participate in the Namibia Fellowship Program at Akademie Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart, which is part of the Namibia Initiative organized by the state of Baden-Württemberg in collaboration with the National Art Gallery of Namibia and Goethe Institut Namibia.
JULY 19-28, 2024
DIALOG CITY ART FOR PUBLIC
at GRAZMUSEUM
LONGINGS is the title of the second art residency project for the public by DIALOG CITY featuring visual artist Lenka Holíková.
It bridges research and artistic production, focusing on migrant narratives closely tied to Graz City. Developed in collaboration between the Graz Museum and individuals who have migrated to Graz due to forced displacement, the project centres around the personal stories of those who sought safety and peace in Graz after leaving their homes.
Among various significant aspects discussed by the participants are the reasons for leaving their homelands, emphasizing that “no one leaves home unless it is necessary,” moments of frustration and fear experienced, and the challenges of being far from familiar surroundings.
Through empathy and artistic interpretation, the artist internalizes these shared experiences, transforming them into visual and auditory expressions and metaphors.
Special thanks are extended to the individuals who generously shared their time and intimate stories. Visitors are invited to witness this reflective artistic process at the Graz Museum until 1 September 2024.
JUNE 6 - SEPTEMBER 1, 2024
DIALOG CITY
CITIZEN ARCHIVE PLATFORM (CAP)
LAUNCHED
The second Hybrid Festival of DIALOG CITY took place from June 6 to 8 in Graz
Over three days, we explored the topics of Personal Digital Archiving (PDA) and Futures Literacy in various event formats at the Graz Museum and Graz City Archives. On the first day of the festival, the exhibition “Beyond the Hard Drive – How Do My Digital Data Reach the Future” was opened as part of the festival launch. The exhibition focuses on Personal Digital Archiving and can be further visited at the Graz City Archives.
On the second day of the festival, the workshop “Can We Be Active Participants in the Future that Surrounds Us? – Futures Literacy” took place. Participants delved into the importance of future literacy in the present. Elke Höfler’s lecture followed this theme in the evening.
Additionally, there was a presentation on data security online and offline by Nina Hoffer (nowa) and Andreas Zingerle (mur.at), as well as a talk on “Being Digital: Safe and Self-Determined on the Internet” by Edith Simöl (digitaleSenior:innen).
The highlight of the festival was the presentation of the Citizen Archive Platform on Friday evening. The platform, which facilitates individuals to submit their digital data to archives, was available for visitors to try out on-site.
On Saturday, participants had the opportunity to learn about digital archiving through a game workshop. Together, we played the board game “Preservia” and answered questions about data formats, data security, and Personal Digital Archiving.
JUNE 6-8, 2024
DIALOG CITY
ART FOR PUBLIC RESIDENCY
FIRST HYBRID FESTIVAL IN MONDOVÌ, ITALY
News From Home is an ongoing project by the artist duo Anne Fehres and Luke Conroy, capturing overlooked stories from communities. The 10th edition of this project took place during a 4 week artist-residency in Mondovì, Italy.
The outcome of this research and image collection was the creation of a large-scale 6×2 metre photographic composition. This work was presented on a wall in public space during the Hybrid Festival in Mondovì from July 20 — July 22. The final composition consists of almost one thousand individual elements, inspired by the multi-layered identity of Mondovì.
These layers present a diversity of perspectives on Mondovì and include such elements as children’s drawings, historical images, photography of daily life submitted by the community, graffiti scratched into walls around the city and spontaneous staged portraits in the streets. Through this collision of diverse layers, the work celebrates Mondovì as a place where elements of the past, modern reality and future dreams constantly overlap, inviting the audience to consider diverse narratives from both a local and global perspective.
Anne Fehres (The Netherlands) and Luke Conroy (Australia) are a multidisciplinary, research-oriented artist duo currently based in The Netherlands. Their practice engages with sociocultural topics in meaningful yet playful ways, utilising humour and irony as essential tools for critical reflection and expression.
QUIZ RACE
ENGINEERING CONFERENCE
Organised by IG Metall Labour Union and Hans-Böckler-Stiftung
Opening Event of the Conference 14 Sept 22 in Ingolstadt
Mobility is an essential part of human development. The complexity and scale of modern locomotion are immense and a real challenge for our societies. In near future, we must move in a climate-neutral and sustainable manner without excluding people or forcing parts of the world to stand still. In a nutshell: it’s about fair and inclusive mobility for everyone in harmony with nature.
The LABOURGAMES team was commissioned by the Hans-Böckler-Foundation to organize the opening evening with a large group game. We decided on a quiz evening on future mobility issues combined with an RC car competition for 300 people.
DIALOG CITY
Unconference
A holistic approach towards
a digital cultural infrastructure in European cities
Hosted by TU Aschaffenburg – University of Applied Sciences
Under the auspices of the Bavarian Minister of State for Digital,
Ms. Judith Gerlach
In recent years, the term Smart City has become deeply embedded in our language and thought patterns. It means a digitized city that uses technology to collect data, control processes and offer services. This ranges from electronic administration via self-driving public transport to smart solutions for building management. Almost every area that is data-intensive can be recorded, analysed and optimized accordingly.
The European-funded project DIALOG CITY was born out of the conviction that digital transformation is more of a mindset rather than a purely technical innovation.
The overall goal of DIALOG CITY is to create a socially inclusive, environmentally friendly, and economically sustainable urban digital environment. By developing new practices on how to connect digital innovation directly to citizens’ physical participation, DIALOG CITY aims at contributing to increase access to culture through a dialogical approach. Participation is at the core of our project idea encompassing a CITIZEN ARCHIVE PLATFORM for the cultural heritage sector and an innovative design thinking toolkit on FUTURE LITERACY. Three HYBRID FESTIVALS serve as physical and digital cultural platforms to reach diverse audiences in five European countries. An ART FOR PUBLIC residency programme invites artists to develop ideas for urban interventions dealing with local or global topics that are of great significance for the respective urban society based on participatory approach.
DIALOG CITY kicked off with a one-day UNCONFERENCE based on an open space format approach. European project partners invite external experts, artists, stakeholders, decision-makers and the interested public to discuss topics such as participation, digitisation, urban development, art and public, future literacy, personal digital archiving and digital rights.
The artistic coordinator of the DIALOG CITY project is Stefan Horn, CEO of urban dialogues.
LOBUS CEREBRI
LOBE
A two-channel video installation
by Stefan Horn and Mark Straeck
As part of the AlanAlaine project, the two artists from urban dialogues accompanied the process of the project workshops over the course of 2022. AlanAlaine is a project initiated by the cultural centre Pavilion in Hanover in cooperation with the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.
A database comprised of opinions, topics and facts was created which is based on the minutes from the workshops about gender relations. These logs served again as the basis for creating an AI, a ChatBot that grew by using machine learning.
The video and light installation consists of eight discs of fabric that appear to be floating in space, which serve as projection surfaces for a wide variety of mosaic structures.
It adapts to the spatial situation in the foyer of the Hannover Pavilion and takes up the construct of a neural network with a variety of media transitions and material interferences.
ARTIST RESIDENCY
WOLWEDANS FOUNDATION
FROM THE INVISIBLE TO THE VISIBLE
London-based artist Diego Ferrari is invited to take part in an Artist-in-Residency programme from 14 – 29 April 2022 by the Wolwedans Foundation.
urban dialogues is a collaborating partner in terms of selecting the artists and curating the programme which is part of Wolwedans Vision 2030 – The AridEden Project.
Wolwedans Foundation’s aim is to soon be entirely plastic-free. Yet plastic remains everywhere in our daily lives. Here it becomes a shroud, a carapace, a cape, its out-of-place-ness accentuating the foreignness of plastic in the natural NamibRand landscape.
BLAME!GAME
It's always someone else's fault
It started with a Game Jam in December 2020
Since then we have been working on the development of a board game that specifically deals with climate change – in cooperation with students from the Evangelische Schule Zentrum in Berlin.
Blame!Game has now been presented as part of the House of World Cultures’ ‘Schools of Tomorrow’ program.
It is designed for 2-7 players who slip into different roles by drawing a card and being given an ice cube. Now everyone tries to bring their own ice cube to the goal on the playing field. At the same time, he or she does everything possible to destroy each other’s ice cubes with various verbal and mechanical attacks.
Slowly but surely the pieces are melting away …
House of World Cultures Berlin
BONES RISING
A Theatre Production
in Namibia
BONES RISING is a project which comprises the development of a theatre production with a participatory approach as well as a multimedia performance. The primary target group are children and adolescents aged 8 to 16 years.
BONES RISING take use of the famous Namibian folk tale »Human Bones«, in order to create an innovative and contemporary form of storytelling by using physical theatre, sound design and new media such as stills, motion visuals and participatory theatre elements.
The project is going to be implemented in Namibia (2021) and Cameroon (2022).
urban dialogues is responsible for the set-design while also contributing to the initial research regarding the colonial remains and repercussions in Africa.
The project is supported by the International Coproduction Fund of the Goethe-Institut.
Katutura Community Art Centre, Windhoek, Namibia
GAME JAM
'Schools of Tomorrow'
Schools are laboratories for tomorrow’s society!
But how can they become places where a new future emerges?
What social agents are necessary for this?
Schools of Tomorrow is a project initiated and co-ordinated by the House of World Cultures Berlin in order to artistically research the future of schools.
In December 2020 a Game Jam was organised by urban dialogues in co-operation with House of World Cultures Berlin and the Evangelische Schule Berlin Zentrum.
Due to the pandemic, the final presentation was postponed a few times.
Now it is planned to happen in November 2021.
Winner of the Covid-19
Creativity Challenge Prize in Namibia
Illustration Video contributing to the fight
against the pandemic in Namibia
This video has been released on African Day, 25 May 2020.
It is reflecting the efficiency of the current struggle regarding Covid-19 in Namibia.
It is the fruitful result of the collaboration between the Namibian artist and graphic facilitator Hage Mukwendje and the storytelling by urban dialogues’ artistic director Stefan Horn.
Public Space and Public Art
A playful debate moderated by Stefan Horn (urban dialogues) in co-operation with Namibian Art Association
Graphic recordings by Hage Mukwendje
Respondents:
Ndapewa Fenny Nakanyete, Ellison Tjirera and Natache Sylvia Iilonga