sexta-feira, 23 de julho de 2010

Gentrified by JAKOB VON RECKLINGHAUSEN (GERMANY)



Gentrification describes the development of an urban neighbourhood from having a poor, socially and culturally mixed population to being a place for hip middle-class yuppies. Normally it starts with a wave of young people looking for a cheap place to live - students, artists, political activists. As they populate poor and run down neighbourhoods, these become more fashionable. Cultural activities and night life boost, more and more people want to move there. Then the rent go up and only rich people can afford to live there. What was once an experimentation field for young artists and activist becomes an established space for institutional culture and commerce.
Not only the neighbourhoods become gentrified, but also the people who live there. The once young and poor students get jobs, children, cars and husbands or wives. Street artists start to exhibit their art in galleries. As they start to earn money, they don't move to another area of town, but rather stay and become the gentrified population. The performance "Gentrified" deals with exactly these patterns: The personal development of the protagonist reflects the gentrification within. From throwing stones on anti-globalisation protests to working for an established NGO. He commits all crimes against the environment
and social justice that he was fighting against, while he thinks, he is still fighting for the good cause. This is an artistic research project to further develop "Gentrified", that I performed in Contagiarte in April 2010. I will work on the
dilemma between trying to take responsibility and not being part of the establishment. I will also look at neighbourhoods and developments in Porto to incorporate local issues.

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