To walk from Castrop-Rauxel in Germany to Cervera del maestre it takes about 50 days of walking (if you walk 30 km per day). In a human life, with everyday life and life that keeps coming in between, it can sometimes take 14 years.
In 2009, a friend offered to use a shop temporarily to initiate a small art show there. At that time, a few artists from the EL-DRAC network accepted and so the exhibition was set up in one day. Temporary use was and is always an option for art in the industrial region in constant upheaval. The shop was empty. The large shop window did not convey the colorful experience that the landlords wanted.
Again and again the art goes to off-spaces. This often sets in motion a dialogue that goes far beyond the actual location.
When contemporary art dives into the living environment of a changing society, leaving the apparently safe place of the studio, there are always exciting moments.
That was also the case in Castrop-Rauxel. The title of the show was defined as “Silent running”, the homage to an SCI-FI classic on the one hand, and the reference to the art’s quiet incursion into the former Roman camp on two strategic connecting routes.
A few years later, a few kilometers further south-west in Europe, two artists occupied an empty space. Between the exhibitions and other social events, the gallery in the Haus des Drachen was available for a “Flashlight”, a snapshot from the archive of two freelance artists. Again with no public funding and no advertising support, again quietly… and again there’s a chance that the universe will do something…unexpected, nice.

The exhibition is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free entry. There is something to discover from 14 years of contemporary art in Europe.
The people who often stand in the background and who are nevertheless so important for the success of such spontaneous actions should also be reminded here. Thanks go to Annette. She made that possible back then. And now, a few years and a few kilometers further… let’s not forget that. The journey continues: Silent Running 2.