January 2003 the belgian curator Philippe Van Cauteren arrived in the city of Hamburg. His professional activities as curator and the particular social, urbanistic and cultural features of this city provoked in him a number of projects articulated onto the skin of this city. Most of the projects deal with specific 'Hamburgian' situations (moods and manners) in answering them with immediacy, improvisation and autonomy. Central to the projects is that open working conditions for artists are created with different layers of 'Oeffentlichkeit'. The projects fill in a cultural lack or develop a constellation of forums parallel to the institutionalized art circuit of Hamburg.

The title of each project consists of a letter and a number. The letter refers to the neighbourhood where the project is taking place. The number indicates the amount of projects each city district hosts. The pseudo-military titling refers to the way the projects are. The projects organize itself independently, internationally, direct and continuously as a gentle civilized city-guerilla. The end of the constellation of projects will be the departure of the organizer from Hamburg.

'O' is a series of projects taking place in Ottensen. This series deals with different degrees and notions of public space. The project reflects forms of reception, communication and (re)presentation of art in public space. With 'R' a classical exhibition series is started at Rothenbaumchaussee 173. 'R' tries to present exhibitions in which a focus is articulated on bringing together artists from South-America and Europe. The socially problematic district of St.Georg on its turn will be the context for the project series 'G'. Institutions providing the population with a social service (court of justice, fire department, police, Arbeitsamt, Bahnhofsmission,...) will host artists to develop a cooperative integrated project. With 'U' the cities underground veins and traffic system is celebrated in situasionistic orientated moments. All of these projects will find their 'written' and 'thought' complement in the magazine 'H'.

This website not only documents all of these projects but is at the same time an active instrument in developing them.

Dr. Martin von Ringleben

'Wir leben im absurden. Wir leben in mittelalterlichen Staedten. All das wird platzen, es ist laecherlich. Das ist ebenso wie Staffeleimalerei.' (N. Schoeffer)

Further Information
Philippe Van Cauteren
Gaußstraße 152, Haus 3
22765 Hamburg
T/F: 0049 (0)40 39903369
E: vancauteren@t-online.de