HIER & JETZT: Connections is an exchange and residency program for artists in exile. The initiative was launched in 2017 by artists of B.L.O. Ateliers in Berlin-Lichtenberg.
We collaborate and exchange ideas on a collegial and informal basis and thus create a platform for art, learning and communication. We define exile as the involuntary loss of one’s social context and working environment in the country of origin for an uncertain period of time. Our structure supports the arrival and artistic production of those who recently came to Berlin. With help of our cross-cultural network we organize workshops, artist talks, film screenings, open studios and exhibitions – and sometimes we just have a coffee on the premises of B.L.O. Ateliers. We invite experts and the public to share new social footholds and artistic incentives with people from, among others, Syria, Iran, Iraq and Turkey.
Involved artists: Rula Ali, Omar Alshaer, Shirin Ashkari, Mika Clemens, Christa Fülbier, Halim Karabibene, DIE KOMPANIE, Zoltan Kunckel, Irina Novarese, Ramin Parvin, Dachil Sado, Yaser Safi, Özlem Sariyildiz, Uli Westphal, Ali Yass.
Since 2003 the B.L.O. Ateliers offer space for workshops and studios to a great variety of international artists and makers. Around 60 people work here, among which are visual artists, musicians, photographers, blacksmiths and special effects technicians.
