From the barely audible and the overheard to broken rhythms emerging from the underground, »the sonic and the void« offers a space for exchange through the lens of music and
critical sound practices. By sharing sound-related material – field recordings, songs, texts – we collectively ask:
How does silence proliferate and haunt our collective memories?
When does intentional silence and secrecy become an act of resistance?
Can the largely unheard form a resonant space for counter-publics?
The format is currently ongoing in collaboration with longtime friend Theo Ferreira Gomes and so far has has taken place at Künstlerhaus Stuttgart and Akademie Schloss Solitude. To document and archive contributions from these music-sharing circles, we set up an Arena Channel.
The exhibition »(in)visible labor«, assembled with Nataša Vukajlović, focuses on the topic of invisibilized working conditions and emerged from the conversations between past and current fellows throughout the year of 2024 at Akademie Schloss Solitude. We considered these conversations as invisible structures of projects and exchange. A collectively assembled conversation library reflects on and shares materials relevant to these discussions. The exhibition was installed on a scaffolding that functions not only as a structure for the works, but also as means of moving ideas and imaginations between fellow generations.
In the shadows of large-scale industrial production, a hidden workforce keeps a vast system running—its presence felt only through the garments we wear, the houses we buy, the platforms we scroll, and the food we consume. The price of these services and products, set within an unregulated market, is seemingly low. But what is the true cost in the form of time, energy, and health invested by those working at the margins?
An excerpt from Merve Bedir's e-flux article, Scaffolding the Commons:
"Scaffolding is an instrument of collective labor that facilitates communication among workers to distribute and conduct work. (...) As a temporary structure, scaffolding enables the care and maintenance work on a building, but, spatially, it helps shape the movement of people or ideas. Scaffolding is a material system that can therefore be used to refuse seemingly solid realities or imaginations and allow for new imaginaries to be born."
With works by: Rojia Forouhar Abadeh, Louis Henderson, Virginia Lupu, Daniel Szalai
Many thanks for the contributions to the conversation library:
Ana Dragić, Arsita Iswardhani, Mateusz Kowalczyk, Yon Natalie Mik, Nikola Mihov, Marco Pando.
"We, LAF – Leerstand als Freiraum e.V., are a non-profit association founded by students and young
graduates of design, art theory, philosophy and computer science. We stand up for cultural
environments in Pforzheim. We initiate projects, which are situated within the fields of art,
electronic music and society.
For this purpose, we transform vacant buildings in the city center into experimental exhibition
platforms. Abandoned spaces – up until now a symbol of idle, lack and unused opportunities – turn
into open spaces through exhibitions, discussions and various events. It is our goal to bridge
societal, artistic and architectural space and to initiate a dialogue on relevant subjects regarding
the city, art and contemporary issues."
Kosmas has been an active member of LAF from 2020 - 2023, & board member from 2021 - 2023
Find examples of events carried out at LAF further below.
