In stories make worlds, worlds make stories, Bubu Mosiashvili reveals the power dynamics that are inscribed in the history and present of Bremen’s 28 Heerstraßen (military roads, in English). Based on this, we turn our attention to another (in)visible symbol of the city. Taking the Bremen key, the city’s coat of arms, as a starting point, this workshop is dedicated to the theory and practice of keys, locks and locking movements.
Keys and locks are symbolic and material instruments of power at central points in social security narratives. The key in Bremen’s municipal coat of arms is the starting point for looking at the history of these symbols and exploring the unspoken promises associated with the key. As a material instrument of power, we get to know our own bunch of keys and explore the closed nature of our surroundings.
Through a series of sound games and listening exercises, we approach the uncertainties of these devices of inclusion and exclusion before we start cracking locks. The colloquial expression “cracking a lock” refers to the acoustic dimension of the activity. Listening is of crucial importance when picking locks, but also when deciphering traditional narratives.
Fritz Laszlo Weber studied at the Kunsthochschule Kassel and the Hochschule für Künste Bremen. He now works interdisciplinary on his own and collective projects. From 2019 to 2022, he has been working on several projects on Bremen’s unfinished history and its encrypted symbolism. His bunch of keys currently only includes keys to locks in Berlin.
Event in the framework of the exhibition Bubu Mosiashvili stories make worlds, worlds make stories
The workshop will be held in German. With English translation assistance if required.
> limited number of participants, registration via office(at)gak-bremen.de