So the page has now been updated and there’s a link to the gallery, where you can see the results!

Mirae and Jesse

Sharing knowledge and tools is at the very core of Graffiti Research Lab (GRL) an international federation of autonomous cells, founded by Evan Roth and James Powderly during their fellowships at the Eyebeam OpenLab.

Each cell is completely independent, with its own political or cultural focus, but all share the basic idea that code and software belong in the public domain – each tool is published under a non-commercial creative commons license.
GRL can be defined as an art group dedicated to outfitting graffiti writers, artists and protesters with open source technologies for urban communication, tools that can be found online and used, so long as it is for non-commercial purposes.
Among the tools developed and put at the disposal of protesters everywhere, the LASER Tag, Led Throwies and Projection Bombing are the most well-known. In a continuos dialogue with graffiti writers and activists, who bring their specific needs and expectations, projects are always in development.
There are also some very interesting international projects, such as the 1LT/C (1 laser tag per child), initiated by the Utah cell of GRL.

Jesse

The Canadian cell of GRL focuses on graffiti as strategy for media democracy, allowing for the reshaping of the people’s interaction with public space. Two of the members of this cell, Jesse and Mirae, have now created a German cell in Berlin and introduced themselves and the project at the Open Design City on the 27th of October.

They decided to come to Berlin because “in Berlin there is a very big DIY spirit and a very good attitude to this sort of projects”. The main focus of the Berlin cell of GRL, though anyone is welcome to pitch in, will be to continue the research on the “bombIR” application to make it as open source as possible. The “bombIR”, which was originally developed by GRL Canada, is a “scaleable drawing application built for use with a rear-projection screen and custom-made infrared pens – as well as a version for use with touchscreens -  that allows artists to physically gesture against a surface and create real-time graphical output“.

“Sharing code and software is an old idea and there has always been the need for it. It makes more sense and it is also more economical”, said Jesse.
“Graffiti writers have always been inventive and have always tried out new technologies, taking tools normally used for profit and using them in a subversive way”, he added.
Even though it is not always easy to work within the framework of the market economy, they think that “art can go at the core of this system and establish a deep criticism of it, which eventually makes it obsolete”.
As for the “traditional” graffiti, “the aim of GRL is not to replace it, but to grasp a renewed understanding of the new technologies and the world around us as they evolve”. This of course means using the technology and putting it in the hands of the people, releasing it into the public domain avoiding the banalization of these resources that results from commercial use.

If you are curious about the work of the GRL Germany you can attend their workshops at the Open Design City and get involved!

Photography: Gabriele di Stefano and Elisabetta Lombardo

Two photographers, Elisabetta Lombardo and Gabriele di Stefano, explore Berlin and its surroundings and look for artists, groups, organizations, whose idea of work is based on the concept of sharing knowledge to provide self-sufficiency to others.
We each bring our own understanding and view of self-sufficiency and accept that, as our investigation evolves, we will widen our own perspectives.

The key is the absence of criteria of entry, the openness of the activities. These are not mere courses or classes, these are open spaces for learning and doing, spaces that do not restrict access. They all, in a way or another, have to do with sharing knowledge, skills or spaces with others and contribute to the creation of a new idea of work, one that is not so much based on selection, restriction and scarcity, but one where independence can be achieved and where competence is not sold to the highest bidder.
We explore different fields, from printing, to sewing, to fixing things. The interviews will be published on both our websites.

You think you know someone? Contact us!

Dieses Projekt soll eine Erkundung des Konzeptes von Selbstversorgung sein in einer Zeit, da viele sich enorm anstrengen müssen, um über die Runden zu kommen und in der Wissen und Fähigkeiten nicht das Privileg einiger Weniger sind, sondern für jeden leichter zugänglich.

Der Schlüssel ist dabei, dass es keine Eintrittsbarrieren gibt, dass die Aktivitäten offen sind. Dabei geht es nicht bloß um Kurse oder Seminare, sondern um offene Räume zum Lernen und Machen, Räume ohne Zugangsbeschränkungen. Sie alle teilen, auf verschiedenem Wege, Wissen, Fähigkeiten oder Räume mit anderen und tragen damit zu einer neuen Idee von Arbeit bei, die nicht primär auf Auswahl, Abgrenzung und Verknappung basiert, sondern eine, in welcher Unabhängigkeit erreicht werden kann und Kompetenz nicht einfach an den Meistbietenden verscherbelt wird.

This project is meant to be an investigation into the concept of self-sufficiency in a time when many of us struggle to make ends meet, in a time when knowledges and skills are not the prerogative of the few, but are more easily accessible for everyone.
Sharing knowledge and skills can mean many different things: it can be a way out of a system based on products that are designed and made under precarious economic and social conditions, it can mean having the chance to contribute to a project where all the participants accept that things can be done together and that, together, it’s possible to enjoy the result. In this case it can be like open-source software, where software is not intended in its most used meaning, rather as a project, that is built and changed by people. The actors, through their participation, give the “software” greater complexity.
What if this software, this project, was the way we work, or work (“Arbeit”) in general? Work is always changing, and the idea that skills and working spaces are to be shared and passed on is at center of our investigation.

The key is the absence of criteria of entry, the openness of the activities. These are not mere courses or classes, these are open spaces for learning and doing, spaces that do not restrict access. They all, in a way or another, have to do with sharing knowledge, skills or spaces with others and contribute to the creation of a new idea of work, one that is not so much based on selection, restriction and scarcity, but one where independence can be achieved and where competence is not sold to the highest bidder.

The very first portrait is dedicated to SDW Neukölln, (Siebdruck Werkstatt), an open screen-printing studio where artists or small labels can use a very professional infrastructure. But SDW Neukölln is much much more.
Elisabetta went to visit the studio and sat down with one of the project’s initiators, Tom Hansing, for an interview.

Tom

Elisabetta: How did you come up with the idea to found SDW?

Tom: The idea came in 2006. I live close to the Rütli school, which in that year was brought to the center of attention through a letter by the teachers to the responsible Senate commission. The school was used as an example of everything that is wrong with the German school system, with a special focus on the migrant kids, depicting them as having no respect, almost “the terrorists of the future”, who don’t speak any German, they are not “our kids”, but the others’. So a couple of friends and I decided to create a garment label, “RÜTLI-WEAR wear”, with the idea to have an attached screen-printing studio. In the end, however, the project of the screen-printing studio came to a halt shortly before its “launch”. Then, two local artists, Agnieszka Jeziorski and Julien Ludwig-Legardez, two very active people, crossed my path during that time. They had the same idea but a different vision, so we decided to open SDW together and each brought her/his personal perspective to the project.

SDW Neukölln is now an open collective of eight to twelve people. Everyday, someone is the studio host, answering questions about all things screen-printing. We have an employee, Joaquin, who takes care of bookkeeping, writes bills, etc.. The others come here and, as compensation, are able to use the studio free of charge. That is why these are people who have a special affinity to screen-printing, such as Louise, an artist and a professional screen-printer, who brings a very specific know-how. Through the studio we don’t make any money, it’s a zero-sum process. We use the money to pay the costs and operating the atelier is done on a voluntary basis. We also do take some external jobs but this is independent from the studio per se.

Louise

Elisabetta: What can be done here and who comes here? Why create an open studio?

Tom: Well, we are not service providers. We approach Work in a different manner. We want to share our knowledge and our infrastructure, which we have in large part received as a gift by a master screen-printer who liked our project. It’s also more fun to meet other people and be exposed to different ideas.
Everything that has to do with screen-printing can be achieved here: printing on paper, foil, wood, glass, T-shirts, wallpaper, etc. If you already know how to print by yourself, you can come here and for a small renting price, realize your projects. It doesn’t matter whether it’s art or whether you’re doing something commercial, as long as it’s not racist or sexist, you’re welcome!
Some of the people who come here to print are artists, some have their own label. Sometimes we see some very special projects, like printing street games, foam dice, special varnish refinished magazines..
Also, SDW is a venue for events..

Elisabetta:..precisely. What types of events take place here?

Tom: SDW wishes to also give a space to Arts and Culture. For example, the artists collective “Nothing but printing” come here. They do mainly one-day-projects, Pop-Up Art, very temporary projects that do not last for a long time. Contemporary art events happen here. It doesn’t cost anything to use the space and it can be rented by anyone. It’s not like we accept just about anything but it’s not curated in the classical sense. If you have an idea and have enough strength to see it come alive, you can come here.

Elisabetta: And also learn..

Tom: Yes. That has to do specifically with screen-printing. If you don’t know how things are done and are interested in the medium, every saturday there are introductory courses where you will learn the different steps involved in screen-printing and how to use the studio, in order to, eventually, be able to work by yourself. We also offer different courses and project formats for schools, students, educational institutions or private people.

Elisabetta: What does “self-sufficiency” mean to you and how important is it as basis for your work?
Tom: It is a very broad term. originally one might say, self-sufficiency for us means being able to get low-priced garments, since we are able to get these clothes for reasonable prices and thus to pass them on at reasonable prices. Here you can decorate, “modify” clothing for not too much money. However, I think self-sufficiency here means more the creative self-sufficiency: with our studio, we want to create and maintain a place that puts the infrastructures at other people’s disposal, so that people who can’t afford their own studio, or simply don’t want to set up one because they prefer to work with other people, can come here and profit from a professional structure. A self-sufficiency with infrastructures, a sort of self-sufficiency for a community that creates spaces for the community. It is also about the neighborhood, about creating a social space where new ideas circulate, with a lot of exchange also with the neighbors themselves. We do a lot of things together, such as the big street fest here. A reciprocal self-sufficiency with inspiration and social warmth.

SDW Neukölln is located on the Pflügerstr. 11, 12047 Berlin (Underground stop: U8 Schönleinstr.). Opening times: Tuesday to Friday 10 am to 7 pm. You can find out when the next Saturday courses will be on the website, where you can also find lots of useful information on all things screen-printing.

Made with: Rollei Crossbird 35mm film ISO 200

A project description needs not be very long. As a matter of fact, it should probably be 3-4 pages maximum. However, as you apply to different funding institutions, you might be given a different page limit. The point of this post is not the project description that you will send out, rather the project description that you will write for yourself and that you will then adapt when applying. The sections might be in a different order in the official document or you might need to merge them if you are looking for brevity or if you have limited space. I have chosen to divide my project description in the following sections only to help you visualize the different phases of the project, but it does not need to be taken “à la lettre”.

The background
Every project starts from something. How did you come to this idea? Why are you interested in this topic? The answers can vary: it could come from personal experience, maybe you want to photograph a phenomenon that is happening in your community and that you want other people to see. Maybe it’s a personal research. You don’t need to explain everything down to the level of molecular science, but the people who will be reading your description will be interested in knowing how you came to this particular topic. As you write it down, keep in mind that in the end you might need to shorten this section of your project description or merge with the “Progress” section (see below).

The issue
Every project starts with research on the topic. As you delve into it, you might read a lot about it. All this knowledge has shaped your take on the issue. There will be a section in your project description about the generalities where you basically introduce the topic and make general considerations on it. This section helps you establish why the focus of your project can be of interest for the general public. Your public can be a limited one, a specialized one, but you have a public nonetheless.

The aim
This is a very difficult section. After all, photography itself has a social “function” and it creates a dialogue. But you will need to address your objectives in a way that makes sense for someone to help you realize your project. You probably think that the topic needs to be known by the public, that there needs to be a dialogue on this. It might not be too original, but it’s often what you will write. If the topic has been already addressed many times before, you will need to have a particular angle on it. If you are the first to talk about it, than it might be easier to get funding (and attention).
This section might not be there (or it might have a different “flavor”) if you are applying for an art grant from an art institution or university, as they will probably evaluate your artistic skills and the originality of the research. Maybe in that case, what makes your project special is the technique or materials you are using.

Means/Methods
If you are using photographs in this project than photography is your means to achieve your ends. Explain how exactly you will proceed, how many photographs you will take and where, with how many people for how long. Everything that has to do with the process itself applies. What will happen at the end? An exhibition? A book? You need to think this through and be as specific and detailed as possible.
This section will also include your timeline: each phase of your project will be restricted within a period of time and each phase needs to be identified.
How much time do you need for your project preparation? Let’s say you need two months to complete your research. Then there is the actual photographing (depending on your project, you might take from two weeks to a year ), followed by processing and editing (two-three weeks?). Then you will be exhibiting your work (for how long?). The final phase is when you compare your initial budget to your actual expenses and send everything in.

As you list these things, you will start recognizing where you need to act first:
- get in contact with galleries/venues,
- start looking for your subjects or investigate ways to find them (if this applies),
- start inquiring about prices for traveling/hotels (if applicable)
- start inquiring about prices for processing, printing, etc
You can’t commit to spending any money yet (as you can only do that when approved for funding), but you will need to be prepared to know how much money you will need in order to submit your budget with your application.

In preparation for that, reserve a specific folder (both “real” and in your computer) where you will file everything project-related and make sure you keep EVERY document that has to do with it. Make to-do lists and process sheets to keep track of the people you need to contact, the people you already contacted and are waiting a response from, and so on.
Finally, get someone whose judgment you can trust to read your document and see if he/she finds it clear and readable. It will help you get some initial feedback.

Made with: Rollei Crossbird 35mm film ISO 200

Writing proposals/descriptions/budgets for a photography project can be a drag. I am not sure I can teach a lot, but I can for sure share what I learned by working on “Structurally recyclable, basically disposable“. Even though I had some experience writing funding requests and project descriptions thanks to my prior job in the human rights NGO sector, I found myself a little lost at the beginning.
Hopefully through this “project planner” series, I can be of help (albeit small) to anyone who is frantically researching ways to get started.

First things first

Let’s first define what we’re talking about. You had an idea for an artistic project (mainly expressed through photography, in my case) and you think it could be interesting for a lot of people. However, you need funding to carry it out: to gather the supplies (films, props, etc), to pay for the rent (in case you’re renting a venue), to cover your own honorary and that of other people who might be working with you, to pay for electricity, postage costs, trips (if that is part of your project), printing costs (think of brochures, flyers, posters), advertisement, etc..
If you are working analog, you might need to get the films developed, processed and you will eventually have to pay to get the prints. If you are doing all of the above by yourself, you will need to have some sort of honorary for all these activities.
In the best case scenario, you will get all the funding you need to cover the costs and your honoraries. Otherwise, you will have to think on where to cut.
Now, depending on the kind of project you are working on, you will have to seek different types of funding options (but this is not the point of this post). However, regardless of the type of funding institution you are going to, you will need to provide a project description, a budget and a time plan. Some institutions provide you with a relatively strict list of documents you need to provide and some even post a questionnaire you have to fill out.
However, a plan and a project description are necessary, at least as a starting point that can be adapted to each potential donor. Also, you will need a plan for yourself, to keep track of your progress and to adjust should anything go wrong.

Planning ahead

The first thing to say is that writing a project description can be perceived as a distraction, as a waste of time, as an activity that does not allow you to fully focus on the artistic development of the project. At least, this is how I often see it.
However, I found that writing things down in the form of a structured text forced me to think things through, to see the loopholes in the concept, where possible problems could arise and eventually to come up with answers to these issues. It also helped me develop the concept, and I went back to the project description as I came up with a better way (or shorter way) of formulating things.

A project description is a text that explains your vision, your objectives and the means that you will be using to achieve them. All of this has to be restricted somewhat in time: a project starts and ends within a foreseeable period of time. This means that you will need to think ahead and give yourself a minute to figure out how long you want to commit yourself to this particular project.
Your own willingness to commit has to be calculated in the light of the time that it will take for the different phases to be complete. You will take a certain period of time to do the shootings, to process the images, to exhibit your work and none of these phases should be rushed. These phases depend on the kind of project you are woking on: do you need to travel to a particular place to do the shootings? If yes, how long are you planning to stay? Are you shooting in places for which you need a permit? How long does it take to obtain it? Do you need to find subjects? if yes, how many and how much time will it take for you to photograph them? do you have to travel to them? How long will it take you to process your images? How long will it take you to get your prints? Do you already have a trusted lab that does your printing or should you maybe start testing different places? How long do you plan on exhibiting your work? How many exhibitions are you planning? Have you already a specific place in mind? Do they have a long waiting period?
On top of all this, add a margin of maneuver to allow for problems and delays (even if you think you won’t, you will need it, believe me).

The questions above are only an indicator of the type of things you will need to take into account, but each specific project has its own needs.

This is only the first phase: brainstorming and jotting down things you will need to know. Hopefully with the next posts, I will be able to share what I learned in the different phases of the project.

I mentioned that “Structurally recyclable, basically disposable” has been to Geneva for what it will probably be its last show.
Here are a couple of photographs showing the exhibition and the venue.

This is the wall outside of the university, in case the photograph is not clear enough.

Even though it wasn’t quite a piece of cake to get this exhibition up, I eventually prevailed and this is how the panels (grilles) were put together to channel people through the two installations.

Since the exhibition did not go on for a long time, I spent the entire week in Geneva and one of my favorite spots was the first floor, which allowed me to work, read and keep an eye on the exhibition all at the same time.

So the project is now officially over and I plan on writing a longer summary of my impressions in the following days.
By the way, you can now access all the exhibitions’ archives from one page.

Berlin: Exhibition’s archive

Structurally recyclable, basically disposable is funded and supported by Stiftung Menschenwürde und Arbeitswelt.

Now I am here for the rest of week, occasionally coming by the university to check that everything is in place. If anyone intends to come and ask me questions or have a chat, please let me know in advance so that I can make sure to be there at that time.

I also have to announce that due to the aforementioned issues, I will demount the exhibition on Friday evening, which means that the photos will not be up anymore on Saturday. It’s a security measure because I need to catch a train on Saturday and I can’t risk to miss due to the absence of university personnel.

Please do come to see the exhibition while it’s there, as it will probably be the last show for “Structurally recyclable, basically disposable“.