This project, is part of the BIP "Common Ground" initiative in Frankfurt supported by the EU, it involved a collaboration with Belgian artist and social worker Eline.

We focused on an abandoned building—the former campus of Goethe University near the city centre. Although the state, with police enforcement, had cemented the entrances to prevent access, the building continued to find purpose. Graffiti artists, homeless individuals, and other groups repurposed the space, in a way giving it new life. This was particularly striking given Frankfurt’s severe real estate speculation, housing shortages for students and low-income residents, and the gentrification of several neighborhoods. Despite this, a valuable space like this was left to decay.

Fascinated by how these individuals challenged state restrictions, we chose not to intervene artistically ourselves, as neither of us were from Frankfurt. Instead, we took on the role of curators, “framing” and “formalizing” the existing interventions using colored tape—bringing attention to them under the watchful eyes of passersby. To make these artistic acts more visible to the public, we organized an “exhibition” for anonymous artists, creating a poster, a catalog with professional photographs, and a documentary video that explored our curatorial intentions while respecting the artists' intellectual property.

Our inspiration also stemmed from the irony of Banksy’s work being exhibited in one of Frankfurt’s most prestigious art institutions—where pieces that were once public have now been privatized, locked away for the profit of a wealthy elite. Through our project, we aimed to highlight these tensions between public space, artistic expression, and ownership.

https://urcommons.eu/2023/09/06/common-ground/