I arrived in Leipzig early in the evening and went straight to D21, the project space from which Raster : Beton (Concrete : Grid) festival has been organised. This space was founded in 2006 by a group of artist as a platform from which to curate an international exhibition program of contemporary art, especially in the fields of new media, installation and performance, to show in Leipzig.
From D21 I took the tram to my accommodation (pictured) in the Grünau neighbourhood, where the festival is taking place. 2016 marks the 40 year anniversary of the founding of this neighbourhood which consists of eight prefabricated housing complexes housing approximately 45,000 inhabitants. Despite good infrastructure, the population of Grünau has been in decline since the 90’s. It is within this context that Raster : Beton has set out to consider the architecture, and life in large housing estates from the perspective of contemporary art .
