| The Spitsbergen Project | de | en |
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The Spitsbergen Project The Spitsbergen Project has been ongoing since 2009. This project began as a reaction to the seedbank on the island of Spitsbergen. In a vault there seeds of all crop plants are stored and well protected against natural and manmade disasters. However, the vault is said to be financed by, among others, companies preventing the free dissemination of crops through genetic manipulation and also claiming for themselves legal rights to the seeds by virtue of patents. In the beginning, the Spitsbergen Project was a counterreaction, and as a result of this the realitaetsbüro first began its observations.  The Spitsbergen Project is following the process of growth and perception. And, in fact, the Project limits itself to observing the growth of plants. To become aware, mostly unseen. The Spitsbergen Project thus allows itself to be guided along, and in the course of this activity it discovers partners, places and situations. This countermovement becomes a game. Fields of focus evolve. CABBAGE. MUD. POMEGRANATE. 
Stockpiling 2022 is being established with the Spitsbergen Project. Stockpiling begins as an attempt to make provision for the future. For something that nature takes care of by itself with its seeds. For the year 2022. In that year a jar of real strawberry jam could cost 150 dollars. At the same time, the question arises about the issues. About security, about value. And, what is more, about art too. According to what these issues require. Or: what is required of them. About wealth and expectations. But in the end the cabbage cans begin to explode.  The Spitsbergen Project offered its first public presentation in October, 2009, with Zum Gipfeltreffen: Kohl - Cabbage at the Summit. At the Maximiliansforum in Munich (formerly ZKMax) cabbage was grown underground, boiled down and then canned. The staff worked all through the night until the process was completed. Later the cans exploded and Stockpiling 2022 began suspecting that foresight might have its limits and that it sometimes foils its objectives. In 2010 the Spitsbergen Project was invited by "CITYSCALE Munich / Istanbul", an artistic exchange (2010: Kunsthalle, Lothringer 13, Munich) to participate in the project. With the connection between Munich and Istanbul established, pomegranates entered the picture - 613 of them to be exact. With Granatäpfel (Die Vorhut) - Pomegranates (The Vanguard) - stockpiling has become a public venture which involves people in actual interaction. In February, 2011, one seed remaining from each pomegranate enabled Rote Pflanzung (Brut & Wasser) - Red Planting (Offspring & Water) - to begin growing the first trees in public. Since May, 2011, Project Spitsbergen. nar. has been giving them to people to care for. With this, "distribution and promise" entered into the project along with new objects: instant images. In September, 2011, Project Spitsbergen. nar. went to Istanbul as part of the exhibition "Cityscape" at Siemens sanat Istanbul, and began to find people there interested in participating and looking after the trees. A forest of pomegranate trees soon started to grow, connecting Munich and Istanbul. |
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