TRANSIT LOUNGE returns to Berlin in 2009 as a partner event of transmediale.09 DEEP NORTH, in the unique position, as artists from the south, to comment on the festival’s themes. Inspired by these theme, the curators question what has been the underlying theme of the project since its inception – transit – asking:

What happens when movement becomes difficult? When escape from (or to) home becomes impossible?

It is on this intimate level that the implications of the reconfigured global relationships brought about by climate change become the inspiration for TRANSIT LOUNGE 09. Here the limitations on global travel that will come about due to the change in availability of resources, subsequent shifts in the political and social environment and rising costs become the inspiration for the development of a series of rules restricting the interaction between participating artists; TRANSIT LOUNGE 09 becomes a transnational residency project where everyone stays home, an intense exploration of local contexts directed through communication with distant collaborators.

TRANSIT LOUNGE 09 is a series of 3 parallel online conversations, between artists in Berlin and others from cities in Australia, the South. Here, dialogue is not restricted to verbal communication but includes the exchange of images, sounds and video media. With participants drawn diverse backgrounds issues of translation and mistranslation obviously emerge, magnified by the nature of digital communication, as the nuances of body language are lost, and time differences undermine the utopia of instant global communication.

The conversations begin at the end of November 08 with the particular reflections on the conference and project themes of the first artist pair before passing on their role to a new artist team. Each of the artists involved will participate in the conversation for 4 weeks, with new artists starting every week. The participants will establish a set of rules, develop their concept and a work routine. The online dialogue is part of the project and will be documented in a form chosen by the artists. In addition to a website all web 2.0 tolls will be used- email, skype, facebook, mayspace etc.  The exchange will eventually be traced or translated via installations or performances into a real space at transmediale.

Curators
Katie Hepworth,Miriam Mlecek and Somaya Langley

Artists
Anna Tautfest, Debbie White, Lady Gaby, Gracia&Louise, Jordana Maisie, Muse-Me, Nick Mariette, Steve Smart

Conversation One - Teaser
Anna Tautfest / Debbie White / Miriam Mlecek

Conversation Two - Teaser
Jordana Maisie / Muse-me / Nick Mariette

Conversation Three - Teaser
Gaby Bila / Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison / Steve Smart

for the complete project: transitlounge.org/2009/