Two Artists, One Planet

20/08/2023

THE RICE FIELDS IN BALI: (Holger speaks *)🌾🍚

It is not often I find myself standing in a rice field in the middle of Indonesia. It wasn’t planned to happen at this point, but as life goes with full time travel, and creating music and sound as I immersive myself in the local cultures, this is exactly where I found myself - standing in the middle of a rice field in Bali.

My partner and I (Cee) are on on our way to India, having just finished “The Recycling Ball Project” in Skopje, North Macedonia. A project that I have been putting together for many years. Which finally came to life, with the collaboration of many people.

Being able to stand there in the middle of the rice field, was a networks of dots that all came together. I found my “musical instruments” in a local shop, in the side street next to our accommodation. 🏡 There I stood Speaking to the local store owner, who was very confused as to why I wanted the two brushes (generally used for cleaning) 😅. Trying to explain that they have multiple purposes in life, not just to clean. Finally we agreed on a price and I made off with my new sound tools. 🧹♻️

Next was seeking the permission from our landlord to gently and without causing harm, walk through his beautiful rice fields. I have been wanting to see the rice fields since my late teens, and suddenly I was really there, right in front of them. 🌾 With a smile I was given permission for me and Cee to venture into the fields, I didn’t have a plan, I simply stood there, embracing the environment, waiting for the moment to find me, listening for the sound to come. And it did. 🌿🌺

The wind blowing through the rice, the water trickling through the soil, the kites soaring above, the dogs barking and the scooters hooting, I was in Indonesia - and so the sound came 🌾🎶

Artist: Holger Maik Mertin
Film by Cecilia Martens
Funded by: Kunststiftung NRW

20/08/2023

“Holger, in the Rice Fields of Bali, Indonesia”

Are these Brooms or Musical Instruments? - The story behind my ever-changing musical tools, on our journey. 🧹🎼🪘My fascination for everything other than “normal” drumsticks goes back a long way.

As a drummer, I became more and more interested in tools that consisted of uncommon structures and shapes. I especially like it when they are given other purposes, apart from being limited to being a "drumstick" only. At one point I actually started to only use items that were strictly non “musical tools”.

I like brushes and sticks that are made out of natural materials and materials that can be harvested and grown again without killing the plant - like grasses or "trash" materials that get a new (artistic) life.

On my travels particularly through Africa and Asia, I have come across a lot of brushes that are sold as simple cleaning tools. Every country and region has got its own style of sweeping and cleaning. For instance, some brushes are bent together like in Tanzania and Bali, and others are very wide and flare outwards like in Bangkok.

When I found these brushes I felt an immediate impulse and sensation to interact with the surrounding rice field. 🌾The brushes felt like the "perfect" tools to find a way of communicating with the rice field environment. The grasses and natural fibres these brushes are made of connect with the textures of the rice field. They helped me to get in touch with the living entity of the field. 🌿

After developing a certain playing technique I usually leave these brushes or instruments at the place where I found them. They are too big to backpack-travel 🎒with. And so most of the time they become utensils for cleaning again. That hurts me. On the other hand, I like the cycles of life and the ever-changing continuation of life.🌍

Credits: Photography and Film by Cecilia Martens.
Supported by: The Kunststiftung NRW
Location: Bali, Indonesia 🇮🇩

07/06/2023

TODAY IS THE DAY!!! ♻️🥳 As you can see, yesterdays building and completion of the “Recycling Ball” was a collaborative effort 🌿👍🏾♻️😄🗺👩🏾‍🤝‍👨🏼

We were so excited to have everyone join us, in the final building phase of the “Clean(s)ing Skopje” project. It’s been a collaborative effort and project from day one.

Today, we have our final performance, as we roll the “Recycling Ball” through Skopje. 🍃♻️🌺

We would love for you to join us, so please feel free to come help roll the ball, walk with us, or if you see us on the road, come say hello. 👋🏾👋🏻👋🏼.

We will begin rolling the ball at 17:00pm from the Project Space at 26 Borka Talevski Street. In the alleyway, just behind The Dude Specialty Coffee cafe ☕️🌰 If you’d like to come help put the final finishes on the ball before we start rolling, please come join us at 16:00pm.

We can’t wait to see everyone again today, and look forward to collaborating with our amazing partners once again, Goethe-Institut Skopje Акто Фестивал КСП Центар -Јадро / SCS Centar-Jadro Волонтерски Центар Скопје - Volunteers Centre Skopje За Почиста Македонија and many of the friends we’ve made here in Skopje! 🌳🌻🥰

We’ll see you later. 🍃♻️💜

05/06/2023

JOIN US! As we walk through the streets of with our Recycling Ball project, this week.

07th of June at 17:00pm

Meeting Point: 26 Borka Talveski Street - In the Old Railway Building - Just behind “The The Dude Specialty Coffee café.

We’ll be rolling our recycling ball through the streets of Skopje to bring awareness to trash, consumption and recycling.

This will be the final day of our month long project here in Skopje in Partnership with Goethe-Institut Skopje and in Collaboration wit Акто Фестивал КСП Центар -Јадро / SCS Centar-Jadro 🌿♻️

We’re looking forward to having all of you join us. Those that are interested in sound and art, those that are interested in recycling and our trash consumption as a society. Those who would like to know more about the project itself. And those we met along the way.

Wear comfortable shoes, bring clothing you can get a little dirty and come join us and help us roll the ball 🍃🗺♻️

01/06/2023

The space will be open TODAY from 12:00noon to 17:30pm. Please do feel free to bring us your plastic trash, as we start the construction of the recycling ball installation. Feel free to come help us build the ball.

At 17:00 pm we will have a quick informational discussion about the project, what we’re doing with the trash, how you can be involved on the 07th of June, and all the need to knows. Open to the public, come through and say hello 🌿🌻🌳🌺👩🏾‍🤝‍👨🏼🍃♻️

See you later today. 🍃🌿

Location: We are in the alleyway, directly behind The Dude Specialty Coffee café. Borka Talveski street, No.26 👍🏾🌻 ps, they make amazing coffee!

In partnership with Goethe-Institut Skopje, Акто Фестивал and КСП Центар -Јадро / SCS Centar-Jadro 🍃

(s)ingskopje

28/05/2023

We would like to say a huge thank you, to everyone who joined us and came through to our space at the “old railway building” here in Skopje.

It was great to have friend, curator, radio presenter and traveller Rolf Killius join us for an evening of gathering, discussion, sound and interaction and fun between the space, and the people. 🍃🌺🌻

Rolf is currently on a slow tour, through the Balkans as you would have seen in our previous posts - be sure to go follow his journey.

This week, we’d love for you to pop in and come interact with the space and our projects “The Recycling Ball” and “Clean(s)ing Skopje”, in Partnership with Goethe-Institut Skopje and in Collaboration with Акто Фестивал КСП Центар -Јадро / SCS Centar-Jadro 🎭♻️🗺👩🏾‍🤝‍👨🏼

If you would like to drop off your plastic trash with us, please see information below in the last image frame for details. ♻️🪴🍃🌳🌍♻️

26/05/2023

Happening right now! Two Artists, One Planet We’re here! 🥑🍄

SLOW TOUR BALKAN – TROUBADOURS, STORYTELLERS AND TREASURE TROVES

Open Invitation to the Kick-off meeting:
SLOW TOUR BALKAN RENDEZ-VOUS in SKOPJE

An informal gathering of people interested in art, culture and museum’s displays in Balkan countries.
On Friday 26 May 2023 6pm
at Borka Talevski 26 (the old railway building)
———————-

On 23 May the London-based curator and researcher Rolf Killius started his SLOW TOUR BALKAN – TROUBADOURS, STORYTELLERS AND TREASURE TROVES. In this initial tour he’ll travel in North Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania and Northern Greece.

At this Wirst RENDEZ-VOUS in Skopje Rolf collaborates with Cecilia “Cee” Martens (a South African Photographer, Documenter and Travel Writer) and Holger Maik Mertin (a German Sound & Performance Artist).

Their project is called “twoartistsoneplanet” / Two Artists, One Planet. They are full time travelers, who are currently exploring the globe, via the means of Slow Travel Living, Artistic Projects, Film Documentation and Exploration through Cultures, Foods, Adventure and Sustainability.

One part of that is to only use local found objects for their art pieces and to use public overland travels. In there monthly stay in Skopje they work in partnership with the Goethe-Institut Skopje and in collaboration with Акто Фестивал and КСП Центар -Јадро / SCS Centar-Jadro and North Macedonian Artists.
————————
In this green tour Rolf will travel by bus & train and stay overnight in communal facilities, private apartments or small guesthouses. In this "sustainable" way of travelling he likes to connect special people and learn about their cultural environment and natural surroundings.
Interacting with local museums AND artisans, musicians and storytellers is at the heart of this project.

He’ll document his journey with photography and audio recorder. The idea is to feature the tour in radio shows and exhibitions to be shown in and with the museums visited and the people met on my journey.

Please comment and virtually join Rolf’s journey in facebook and instagram:

https://www.facebook.com/rolf.killius/ https://www.instagram.com/rolf_killius/

26/05/2023

SLOW TOUR BALKAN – TROUBADOURS, STORYTELLERS AND TREASURE TROVES

Open Invitation to the Kick-off meeting:
SLOW TOUR BALKAN RENDEZ-VOUS in SKOPJE

An informal gathering of people interested in art, culture and museum’s displays in Balkan countries.
On Friday 26 May 2023 6pm
at Borka Talevski 26 (the old railway building)
———————-

On 23 May the London-based curator and researcher Rolf Killius started his SLOW TOUR BALKAN – TROUBADOURS, STORYTELLERS AND TREASURE TROVES. In this initial tour he’ll travel in North Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania and Northern Greece.

At this Wirst RENDEZ-VOUS in Skopje Rolf collaborates with Cecilia “Cee” Martens (a South African Photographer, Documenter and Travel Writer) and Holger Maik Mertin (a German Sound & Performance Artist).

Their project is called “twoartistsoneplanet” / Two Artists, One Planet. They are full time travelers, who are currently exploring the globe, via the means of Slow Travel Living, Artistic Projects, Film Documentation and Exploration through Cultures, Foods, Adventure and Sustainability.

One part of that is to only use local found objects for their art pieces and to use public overland travels. In there monthly stay in Skopje they work in partnership with the Goethe-Institut Skopje and in collaboration with Акто Фестивал and КСП Центар -Јадро / SCS Centar-Jadro and North Macedonian Artists.
————————
In this green tour Rolf will travel by bus & train and stay overnight in communal facilities, private apartments or small guesthouses. In this "sustainable" way of travelling he likes to connect special people and learn about their cultural environment and natural surroundings.
Interacting with local museums AND artisans, musicians and storytellers is at the heart of this project.

He’ll document his journey with photography and audio recorder. The idea is to feature the tour in radio shows and exhibitions to be shown in and with the museums visited and the people met on my journey.

Please comment and virtually join Rolf’s journey in facebook and instagram:

https://www.facebook.com/rolf.killius/ https://www.instagram.com/rolf_killius/

25/05/2023

Thank you to everyone who came to our public kick-off event for our “Recycling Ball” and “Clean(s)ing Skopje project, in Partnership with the Goethe-Institut Skopje and in Collaboration with КСП Центар -Јадро / SCS Centar-Jadro and Акто Фестивал , this past Tuesday. ✍🏾♻️🕯🗑👩🏾‍🤝‍👨🏼

We held a Sound Performance and an Artists Talk at the Jadro Centar. All the items used in the Sound Performance were pieces of “trash” collected and recycled for the artistic piece and in-line with our projects. 👍🏾🍃♻️

We then spoke about our travels across the globe, our aims, the reasons we and why is such a huge focus for us. And why it is important to look at the lives we all lead and to make relevant changes to our environment and ways of doing things, as , and individuals. ♻️🚴🏾‍♀️🏡

If you missed the event, please do feel free to join us this Friday, May 26th 2023 at 18:00pm at our our Artists Space in Skopje. Details shared soon.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us on Tuesday, everyone who came through, sat in the candlelight with us, and embraced the space and the environment. 🌺🪴🍃

If you’d like to bring us your trash to contribute to the projects, here in Skopje, North Macedonia, please do, contact us and we’ll let you know where to find us. 🌿 ✍🏾🌷🐝

23/05/2023

We are so excited to share with you all, that our rooms are starting to fill with recycling waste ♻️

Yesterday we received this massive drop off of trash from the local trash cleaning collective. 🌳🪴🐢

We would love for you to please bring us your trash from Wednesday onwards, at our collective space, we’ve attached details below.

Dry Plastic, Paper and Cardboard are welcome. Please refrain from bringing us glass, as this can be dangerous in the construction of our installation 👷‍♂️🏡🥽♻️🐬

And a REMINDER: come join us THIS evening, at КСП Центар -Јадро / SCS Centar-Jadro within our projects “The Recycling Ball” and “Clean(s)ing Skopje” in Partnership with Goethe-Institut Skopje and in collaboration with Акто Фестивал 🌿

Tonight we will be doing a Sound Performance and an Artists Talk. Start time at 19:00, ending 20:30pm.

See you soon/ Bis Bald. 🌿🎼