The projects goals:
transbordering Laboratory is a research on and between European cities that are divided by borders. We aim to address the idea of forming new realities in such cities and areas. Hard borders became an issue again with the rise of nationalism and the pandemic, especially for citizens in the border territories. Many of the border cities started to forge a common life since the 1990s and reinvented themselves as unified towns. Our aim is to gradually form a network of these towns in order to share experiences and creativity. We believe that connecting artists and activists in a practical laboratory would help to develop a Europe with common transborder regions.

From the perspective of national capitals, we are seen as peripheries, while from our own perspective we should be developed as the very centers, because here – at the meeting point between states, nations and people – the real Europe is taking place and reinventing itself.

Every double city, that was divided by border, is a unique laboratory of coexistence. Our aim is to establish a transnational network of transborder laboratories. As part of the research we were performing study visits to different divided towns to meet activists, scholars, artists and others, have presentations and discussions, make interviews and artistic documentations. The aim was to create a sustainable network of these towns and its engaged people.

The first conference was held within this project in October 2022 in Frankfurt (Oder)-Słubice, a double town at the German-Polish border, also known as Słubfurt.

Miha Kosovel, Michael Kurzwelly, Tanel Rander

A yurt as an art installation goes on a journey
During the project “transbordering laboratory 2021-2022” an art installation was created. The yurt stands for a form of life for which the static concept of the nation state is not suitable. It moves from “pasture ground to pasture ground”. In this case, this means European border regions and twin cities.
Inside the yurt is a multimedia installation based on the research of Miha Kosovel, Michael Kurzwelly and Tanel Rander, but which has already been expanded by newly added actors in the network.
The yurt can now go on a journey and the installation will constantly expand and change. Nothing remains as it was…

Many different languages are spoken in the twin cities and border regions of Europe. Our website cannot do justice to this. We need other forms of communication to communicate with each other. We would like to invite artists and actors who have developed non-verbal forms of communication to embark on a journey through our twin cities and perform there.

The project “transbordering laboratory” began with two-week stays by Miha Kosovel, Michael Kurzwelly and Tanel Rander in two European twin cities each. As a result of their research and contacts made on site, the conference could take place in October 2022, where the network was founded jointly by all participants.
If the network is to grow further and the contacts between the actors are to deepen, then we must continue with two-week research visits.
On the one hand, it is about exploring other European twin cities and establishing contacts with interested people on the spot who can then also become part of our network. On the other hand, it is about strengthening the exchange within our network.
Those who have the means to do so will offer residencies for artists, activists and journalists who want to explore European twin cities.