STUDIO URBANISTAN: “Spulen”
An audio walk about upheavals, new beginnings and empty spaces

The 1990s in Hellerau. After decades of military use under two dictatorships, the Festspielhaus—once a beacon of splendor—now stands in the area, in a state of disrepair. Behind the long-sealed walls, amid the stench of old diesel, in dilapidated rooms, and under a leaky roof, however, a free space for artistic experimentation is emerging.  

And today? What do the ’90s tell us about social change and empowerment? About spaces of possibility in art? What do people remember, what stories are recorded, and what is already utopia?

Armed with Walkmans and headphones, the audience embarks on a one-hour audio walk through the grounds of the Festspielhaus—exploring architectural layers, personal experiences, and secret traces in the cracks of the walls. Along the way, original sound bites blend with documentary material and acoustic visions to form a mixtape about today and tomorrow. Where does the cassette crackle? Where does the tape skip? What do we record over and what do we record anew? Until the cassette clicks.