2 min
Sculpture navale #2, by Das Archipel, mit and ftts
An experiment open to all, Sculpture navale #2 explores an evocative theme: water in the space of the city. The challenge? To make a common resource come alive by creating an island for the Veringkanal archipelago (in Hamburg, Germany): a floating library offering printing, translation and writing workshops from April to October 2019.
A triple collective
Sculpture navale #2 is supported by the Das Archipel (Hamburg, Germany), mit (Nantes, France) and ftts (Berlin, Germany) collectives.
Das Archipel is a creative platform. One of its major projects was to open three mobile islands moored at the HonigFabrik wharf in Hamburg.
A group of French architects founded in 2009, mit brings together the complementary talents of graphic design, landscape and framework.
And since 2016, ftts, a collaboration between landscape architect and graphic designer Federica Teti and sculptor and performer Todosch Schlopsnies, has been operating through art workshops with participants from all over the world.
Creative hub
A dream space combining art and life, Sculpture navale #2 makes reading, writing and editing texts an opportunity to design a floating haven of shared creation. The work is a structure that promotes participation and can be used by all.
The principle: imagine, through writing, translation and printing workshops, new exchanges which question how we live together, in the heart of the city. In particular, the development of urban spaces and the social scope of art are questioned.
From nomad to local
The first nomadic residence, Sculpture navale, launched by the mit collective, took place in Amsterdam (Netherlands), Franeker (Netherlands) and Hamburg (Germany), between June and July 2018.
An encounter between the fields of architecture and shipbuilding, the project, through sculptures, films, drawings, texts, performances and installations, placed collective creation at the centre of its approach. Sculpture navale #2 continues this quest, this time anchoring in the Hamburg neighbourhood of Wilhelmsburg.
An international anchoring
With a home port in Nantes and a mooring area in Hamburg, Sculpture navale #2 has established itself as an international project, inaugurating genuine Franco-German cooperation.
The cosmopolitan composition and multilingualism of the teams also enable a wide variety of cultural exchanges, offering new perspectives on how European cities are set up with regard to their relationship with water.
Sculpture navale #2, by Das Archipel, mit et ftts, was supported by the Institut français in partnership with the City of Nantes. Find out more about project assistance programmes in partnership with local authorities
Sculpture navale #1 in its time had benefited from the Collectifs d'artistes residency programme. Find out more about the Collectif d'artistes residency programme