ZukunftsAtelier

Against the backdrop of "forest dieback," German artist Joseph Beuys recognized the need to sensitize the general public to ecological problems as early as the early 1980s. In 1982 he developed the art project "7000 Oaks" for the art exhibition documenta7 in Kassel. Over a period of 5 years, 7000 trees were planted in the urban area of Kassel, each with a basalt stele as a guardian on the side.

However, planting trees alone will not save the climate. Rather, there is the danger of an ecological cloak that precisely prevents radical changes. Accordingly, Beuys was not purely concerned with an ecological planting campaign. For him, the tree and basalt were merely the visible sign of a changed social order. He was concerned with the social process that was triggered by a planting action. Beuys called this process a social sculpture. In his opinion, each individual has the potential to have a creative effect on society and to change it for the better.

Based on the idea of the "Social Sculpture," the workshop series "Future Studio," which is financially supported by the Future Now Foundation, was launched in 2022. In small groups, the students identify areas in which they see a need for change or action and develop an idea for a social sculpture as well as strategies for its implementation. For their action/project, they develop a sign, like Joseph Beuys' oak and stone. These signs are then transformed into artistic form. Form and material are completely up to the students.

The aim of the workshop series is to get the students out of a passive view of art or a generally passive-consuming attitude and to create an awareness of social responsibility. In view of the great challenges of our time, a feeling of powerlessness often dominates. In the ZukunftsAtelier, the possibility is to be shown of taking action oneself, even in the smallest area.