ZKU Berlin [KUNSTrePUBLIK ] – Knowledgescapes of Urban Utopias

The project by ZKU Berlin reflects upon utopian narratives and transformational patterns of two monofunctional cities (Eisenhüttenstadt/Visaginas) and regions attached to them. Defined by and dependent on heavy industries (steel, nuclear energy), those cities developed specific socio-economical landscapes, characterised by migration, labor struggles and limited access to public services. This peripheral situation however produces interesting cultural actors; local ambassadors of change that decided to re-think utopias from the pioneering generation that formed the city. In their activities they aim to strengthen these actors and cooperation among them, by supporting their local engagement especially in the role of expanding the meaning of museums. They would like to use the strategy of capacity building and empowerment of local socio-cultural spaces, which in combination with museums can form the base for the missing civic sector in the provincial cities. By doing so, they can bring important political questions outside local councils and propose alternative visions for the both cities.