After closing the Bauhaus by the Regime of the National Socialists, many participants of the Bauhaus went to the US (like Josef Albers, Walter Gropius, László Moholy-Nagy, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe) and joined the 1933 founded Black Mountain College (BMC). The BMC began to play the leading role for the avant garde, as the Bauhaus did before. Artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, Kenneth Snelson, John Chamberlain and John Cage were working there.

The independent artists community “Salem Artworks” (SAW) (www.salemartworks.com) in the State of New York with their „Artists Colony & Sculpture Park“ base themselves on those examples, by organizing an interdisciplinary cultural program.

Our project “BodenseeKulturraum” (cultural area Lake of Constance) is going to build on these famous models as well, by installing periodically symposia, forums and events, which all intend to promote the cultural transfer.

The main focus is on international and interdisciplinary projects, which are been organized by institutions of the Bodensee (Lake Constance) region and international prominent universities as well as cultural organizations.

"Salem2Salem", the pilot scheme of "BodenseeKulturraum" in 2010, got its name throughout the connection of the two locations Salem at Lake Constance, Germany and Salem / NY, USA. About twenty American artists will live and work together with fourteen artists out of the region around the lake, supplemented by one artist from Poland. The artist exchange will be international and interdisciplinary. Different nations, generations and art disciplines (like painting, sculpturing, literature, music, photography, film) will get together in order to work and get inspirations. The program is meant to be a reciprocal exchange.

The heead of organization is the Kulturamt Bodenseekreis (cultural department of Lake Constance region), which is located in the castle of Salem (www.salem.de).

All artists will live and mostly work together on the castle of Salem. During this symposium the participants are expected to deal with the specific geography, the history and the impressions of the region, by get inspired for their works. They’ll have the opportunity to work on their own or to create together with many other artists.

Appointment of Salem2Salem: Tuesday the 3rd to Tuesday the 24th of August 2010.