"Changing signs": these are the art projects for the 50th anniversary of the territorial reform in Münsterland
In 1975, the territorial reform shifted the boundaries of cities, municipalities and districts, and now it is being turned into art: under the title "Schilderwechsel - 50 Jahre Gebietsreform im Münsterland", the cultural office of Münsterland e.V. is presenting five projects from different disciplines that deal with the reform and its consequences. 50 artists and collectives responded to the call for entries and an external jury of experts selected the best ideas.
"The regional reform has become deeply engrained in the identity of the Münsterland region," says Laura Säumenicht, project manager of "Schilderwechsel" at the Kulturbüro. "Our aim is to look at the effects of this administrative act from an artistic perspective. We are delighted to have secured such great projects for this. The artists pick up on themes that have been dormant in people's archives and minds for 50 years."
In theatre workshops with young people, theatre educator, director and actress Stefanie Bockermann (*1970) from Münster explores what the concepts of home and border are all about. At three locations in Münsterland that have yet to be determined, the focus will be on situations that soften borders: What protective shields do we put up and why? When is home home and when does it cease to be? Bockermann uses the collected material to write three mini-dramas, which she will stage together with the young people in further workshops.
Archived district maps, which her father once drew as a surveyor in the old district of Lüdinghausen, form the basis of the project by Nikola Dicke (*1971) from Osnabrück. In "Mapping Stories - Maps, Territories and Stories", the visual artist interviews contemporary witnesses from five places in the Coesfeld district about the territorial reform, combines the interviews with the district maps and creates animated films using mixed-media technology. The films then go on tour through the participating towns, where Dicke initiates further discussions. Stories that emerge from the on-site performances are incorporated into the project. The end result is a five-part film projection.
"Die Einkreisung - Ein fiktionalisierter True-Crime-Podcast aus dem Münsterland" by Münster-based artists Sarah Giese (*1981), Christoph Tiemann (*1977) and Johannes Kraas (*1985) is a fictionalised criminal case set around Bocholt: Shortly after the city loses its county status in January 1975, a crime occurs in the administration - and the Borken police have to investigate where their colleagues were just responsible. Giese, Tiemann and Kraas generate the plot and the characters from real stories that they encounter in conversations in the Borken district, among other places. The result is a four-part podcast and a live radio play.
Media artist David Loscher (*1982) from Baudenbach and director Sina Ebell (*1984) from Gelsenkirchen examine how the territorial reform in today's Steinfurt district has affected personal biographies. Here, too, the focus is on people who were and are affected by the reform. Loscher and Ebell search private and public archives for pictures, letters, diary entries and documents that provide information about the period surrounding the reform. The collected material is edited into an essay film.
Performance artist Chryssa Tsampazi (*1975) from Berlin takes a referendum against the territorial reform in 1974 as the starting point for her project "Aktion Bürgerwille neu". She talks to former participants in her hometown of Rheine, in Ibbenbüren and Münster and picks up on actions and personal moments from back then. Tsampazi then stages these as a re-enactment, a performance in public space.
The Kulturbüro invites all interested parties to the official launch of "Schilderwechsel" on 10 October (Thursday) at the Kulturbahnhof in Münster-Hiltrup. Together with the artists, partners, sponsors and guests, the focus will be on the historical territorial reform and the plans of the five selected projects. The launch also marks the start of the research and realisation of the projects. They will then be presented in spring 2025.
Anyone who has a suitable memory or curious story to tell about one of the projects is welcome to contact Laura Säumenicht (Tel.: 02571 949367, e-mail: schilderwechsel@muensterland.com).
Everything you need to know about the art projects can be found at www.muensterland.com/schilderwechsel.
As the organiser of "Schilderwechsel", the Kulturbüro Münsterland forms the conceptual and communicative umbrella. Partner institutions of the project and potential points of contact are Burg Hülshoff - Center for Literature (CfL), DA, Kunsthaus Kloster Gravenhorst, FARB - Forum Altes Rathaus Borken, Filmwerkstatt Münster, Kulturgut Haus Nottbeck and Theater im Pumpenhaus.
"Schilderwechsel" is funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science NRW (funding programme RKP - Regionales Kultur Programm NRW), Volksbank Westmünsterland eG and Werte-Stiftung-Münsterland. The project is also funded by the LWL Cultural Foundation as part of the cultural programme for the anniversary year 2025 "1250 Years of Westphalia". The patron of this cultural programme is Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
