Open Letter from “Leipzig initiative for Solidarity and Open Culture”

We, cultural workers (artists, curators, art scholars, designers) based in Leipzig, kindly ask Leipzig cultural institutions to take urgent measures for our colleagues who are now fleeing from War. We suggest “opening spaces” for Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian artists/curators/art scholars here in Leipzig. By that, we mean the provision of unbureaucratic and timely financial support such as artist fees and/or stipends or other types of financial support. Furthermore, it is important to create access to existing residency programs as well as workspaces and various opportunities for networking. 

Additionally, it is crucial to us that the support takes into account the needs of mothers with young children, since this is rarely the focus of residency programs in the art sector. As you know, men aged 18-60 are currently not allowed to leave Ukraine. Here we see a particular need for action. 

Our initiative group consists of people working in the cultural sphere, many of whom have close contacts to colleagues in Ukraine or who simply want to express their solidarity in the current situation. We have resources in the field of cultural work; we can curate, manage, translate, and organize. The group is also ready to meet the needs of coming cultural workers: we can translate (German/Russian/Ukrainian/English), we can help with networking in the cultural scene in Leipzig and offer places to stay in Leipzig. Our group is reachable through the request form below or by mail: opencultureleipzig@gmail.com

We are currently working on the website where all offers will be published.

Hopefully you will find resources to support this initiative. We kindly ask you to fill in information about the program of your institution here, so we can collect possibilities/resources and moderate the accommodation of the cultural workers from Kyiv and other cities in exile:

Form for Institutions: https://forms.gle/oA3gW8wHhjsksVh38 

If as a private person you want to take part in our initiative, please fill in the following form: 

Form for private persons: https://forms.gle/kfbeQWiyMG2xGKXCA 

* We oppose nationalistic generalizations and would like to see the aforementioned support also for cultural workers from other regions who seek refuge here due to war or repressions.

In Solidarity, 

Marina Vinnik, artist, curator, art-historian, PhD student University of Leipzig, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation

Kristina Semenova, curator, board member art association Бükü- Office for Cultural Translation, project manager office for international affairs, City of Leipzig

Stefania Smolkina, artist, filmmaker, postgraduate student HGB Leipzig, Initiative Kino in Bewegung 

Olga Vostretsova, curator, board member association Бükü- Office for Cultural Translation

Caren Marusch-Krohn, City of Leipzig, Office for International Affairs, art historian

Elena Vogman, literature and media scholar, Bauhaus Universität Weimar

Clemens v. Wedemeyer, artist, Professor of expanded cinema, Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig

Franciska Zólyom, director, curator, GfZK 

Filmic Initiative Leipzig FILZ e.V (association of authors, filmmakers and artists): Emerson Culurgioni, Florian Fischer, Anna Maria Friedrich, Juliane Jaschnow Jana Magdalena Keuchel, Johannes Krell, Kathrin Lemcke, Jonas Matauschek, Andrea Rüthel, Stefanie Schroeder, Ginan Seidl, Nick Teplov, Clara Wieck, Katharina Wittmann

Andrėja Šaltytė, artist, filmmaker

Heike Geißler, writer

Stefan Weppelmann, direktor MdbK

Mandy Gehrt, member of Leipzig city council and artist

Daniel Niggemann, curator, lecturer in photography, Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig 

Hannes Raßmann, PHD-student Universität Hamburg

Anna Schimkat, artist

Julianne Csapo, artist, PILOTENKUECHE

Rebekka Bauer, artist

Mikhail Tolmachev, artist

Kati Liebert, artist, teacher, Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig

Juliane Wenzl, Illustrator, researcher, cultural worker (KV Leipzig)

Wolfgang Schwärzler, graphic and type designer 

Charlotte Eifler, artist and filmmaker

Kilian Schellbach, artist, curator (KV Leipzig)

Julia Kurz, curator and art mediator, Leipzig

Ariane Jedlitschka, artist, Helden wider Willen e. V.

Neven Allanic, artist

Anna Karpenko, curator

Marina Druzhinina, musician, music curator

​​Xenia Günther, art student, Bauhaus University, Weimar

Angelika Waniek, Performance Artist, Leipzig 

Teresa Rudolf, graphic designer, artistic assistant, Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig, KV Leipzig

Ilona Schaal, programm director, Schaubühne Lindenfels
Melina Weissenborn, artist, artistic assistant, Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig / Akademie für transkulturellen Austausch

Diana Felber, architect, KV Leipzig

Katharina Köhler, Graphic and Type Designer, Interim Professor at Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design, KV Leipzig 

Dr. Sylva Dörfer, cultural scientist, MdbK Head of Development

Jan Wenzel, publisher, Spector Books 

Olav Amende, artist 

Rebecca Maria Salentin, author

​​Sophie Renz, manager, Cammerspiele Leipzig e. V. 

Dirk Kuntze, SilentFilmDj. Social Media Manager, MdbK Leipzig 

Christin Krause, Spector Books 

Juliana Vrady, Kuratorin, Media Artist

Andrey Vrady, Media Artist