Experience on Day 2

Sometimes I wonder if I'm in the right place at the right time - this is not one of those times. I am so grateful to have been accepted as a participant of the FELDSTARKE Program. The feeling I got today from the moment I hopped, or wobble - whatever you call moving when you've been on a plane, four in fact, for twenty hours - and got on the train from the Dusseldorf airport was pure success and confidence. A dream of mine has/is coming true: To travel the world as an artist and work with talented individuals - searching for something greater - from different cultures, lifestyles, and disciplines. We began the day by splitting into groups. I traveled to Dortmund with other participants to look at the Union Brewery. The train ride there was nice and beautiful. Peter and Eva were our guides informing us about the history of the area and the building itself. peter also informed me about this history of his family and how he came to live in Dortmund.

With not much time, we walked through this area to Kunstlerhaus Dortmund. There we viewed photography of selected students and residents. I enjoyed the works of Tamara Lorenz specifically her book of photography called so oder so, Kathi Shroder, Agata Madejska, Angela Kovacs, and Ariette Grotkamp. After we walked around the building we spend about thirty minutes upstairs eating lunch before we had to leave for the train and tram back to PACT. Later this day we also presented our Pecha Kucha evening, where we discussed who we are and what we are interested in as people and artists. It is possible to have many unique and talented individuals in one room. After this presentation we were to decide who we wanted to work with in a group this week - not an easy task. I wish we had more than one week here to work with people, but maybe this is a good thing. You pick your group and focus all day and work until the end of the week. I'm so excited for what is to come. -Toussaint