Every building, every street, every city can be a sea of lights.
A sea of lights (Lichtermeer*) for Willi Resetarits: as a musician and activist, he epitomized the cultural scene from the 1970s onwards, the so called Kreisky years – the time I grew up in and beyond – like no other. People began to overcome the brown stink with culture and a de-tabooed language. Various anti-terms were a common method of creating a progressive, modern society and to counter vative blinkered thinking. Anti-hierarchy to strengthen democracy. One discussed anti-capitalism, formed the anti-nuclear movement and began to engage with various marginalized groups in a process that is still trying to address issues of inequality in a constantly changing to this day. Social engagement was seen as the social supreme discipline.
A critical mindset ment formed the bridge between the middle classes and the proletariat and became social common sense. This process was supported by the center of society which guarded against political extremes. Willi Resetarits was at the forefront of these movements. A version of thinking society that was courageous and warm-hearted. It made a profound contribution to modernization and tried to make inclusion in Austrian prosperity possible across the board. We felt safe on the island. Everything that united society was within our grasp close at hand, so there was no doubt that with attitude you could do anything.
Excerpt realization/design: …The number of these circular bright areas created by the color and running into the grey of the background corresponds to the number of people who could stand in a sea of lights on 172 square meters and whose lights shine on the ceiling 688 people / 4 per square meter and 1 dog. The illuminated areas are between 5 and 15 cm in size (see total ceiling mirror). The overall picture is also reminiscent of the lights of a house, a city or a starry sky. (See illustration ceiling view.)
Technical implementation of the partition and documentation. …For the documentation of the overall project, pupils aged 7 to 14 from the adjacent Innerfavoriten educational campus were invited to take part in a participatory project. The invitation to the pupils will be sent in writing via the management of the Favoriten educational campus. (see below) . The task of the children & teenagers is to draw a sea of lights. The drawing is to be executed on A3-sized paper in free interpretation. The paper will be provided to the campus for the task. All finished drawings are collected, counted and scanned and digitized.
This joint and participatory part aims to bring the Kunst am Bau project directly into society and young generation. The up to 1,200 drawings (with approximately 1,200 students between the ages of 7 and 14) with a sea of lights are the core of a book PDF that will be printed three times by September, one of which will be sent to the library in the Willi-Resetarits-Hof, one to KÖR WIEN (=project organizer) and one to me to document the project. The cover and endpapers feature the photographs of my Kunst am Bau design. The PDF of the book with the digitized image files will be sent to KÖR WIEN and the City of Vienna or the district and can be used by them or serve to document the Willi-Resetarits-Hof. The Lichtermeer book of the Kunst am Bau project Willi-Resetarits-Hof sets an example for a lively creative coexistence at the site, its namesake and living together (at this site).
Later, the adolescents can go into the library with their friends under the sea of lights and discover the drawings they have created among a multitude of “sea of lights”drawings in the book.
CM 2024
* the term stands for more humanity. First Lichtermeer (“sea of lights”) 1993, with around 250.000 people at Viennas Heldenplatz: In 1993, the first so-called “sea of lights” took place with around 250,000 people at Heldenplatz in Vienna, people with lights, lighters, flashlights, mobile phone lights at demos and concerts. Willi Resetarits was one of the organizers.