In March 2020, we welcomed the Museum of Values in Chemnitz. Together with the Museum of Values and friends, we are planning a multimedia art exhibition for fall 2020 that will explore the social legacy of the "Treuhandanstalt" (Treuhand Agency) and moments of upheaval in general, both present and future. Until then, we believed that the city's society needed this exhibition to gain a holistic understanding of what the "Treuhand" and the associated processes of upheaval meant for the people of East Germany. As "young" people, we had never personally experienced such profound transformational processes until then. What feels like the blink of an eye later, we see horrific images of sick people in overwhelmed hospitals, massive infringements on personal rights, people's existential fears of what is to come, and panic-filled headlines everywhere. With the coronavirus pandemic, we are in the midst of a global crisis and a moment of upheaval that will most likely change the way we live together. We're currently experiencing a kind of shock therapy for society, where everything we did in preparation for the exhibition suddenly seems so insignificant. The cultural sector, which was built up like a delicate plant over decades after reunification, is facing major challenges, and we, too, are faced with questions: Does it make sense to hold this exhibition in the fall, and will we even be able to do so economically and legally? Will our fellow artists and creators in cultural institutions even be able to shape art and culture? Too many questions, the depth of which leads to paralysis and feelings of anxiety and helplessness. So it was a small ray of hope this week when I received an invitation to Club Atomino. Live streams from clubs offer a moment of reflection on the endless hours spent in clubs, where you could switch off and leave the world behind. As contemplative as the memories are, it is all the more strange to suddenly stand with your records in a spartanly furnished film studio, where isolated team members are arranging the set according to hygienic standards at a safe distance. Solidarity and friendship are essential values that we need in such a situation, and so it was a heartwarming moment to play the record "AG GEIGE in Love" by the Chemnitz-based label Atomino-Tonträger, which includes great remixes by the Dada-Kraut band AG Geige. With the record, I would like to symbolically express my solidarity with all artists, cultural and creative professionals who are currently facing existential questions and will have to endure further difficult times in the near future. Crisis also means opportunity for new things, and I hope that we as a society will internalize positive lessons after the crisis. Right now, we can stimulate discussions about an unconditional income that enables us to do much more than just earning a living. All the more reason to understand art and culture as the fabric that binds our society together, and how important it is to view the intimate, peaceful moments over the "quieter" Easter holidays as a necessary slowing down of our lives. I'm excited about what's to come...
