What connects us, is the same that keeps us apart 

2019

6 Chanel Sound Installation.  
In cooperation with 12 people
who live in Leopoldstadt, Vienna.

https://vimeo.com/455192283
https://soundcloud.com/hanwenzh

The “Nordbahngelände” is named after the once magnificent Nordbahnhof which was severely damaged during WWII and eventually demolished in 1965. Before the First World War the Nordbahnhof was a station for Jews from the eastern regions of the monarchy who came to settle in Vienna. Jewish culture had a strong influence on the 2nd district of Vienna where the Nordbahnhof was located. During the Nazi regime the Nordbahnhof served as a deportation station. Today the area is one of the largest inner-city development zones in the city of Vienna.

The starting point of the project is the perception that local historiography is the authorised truth. However, history consists of many individual experiences and memories that stand in the shadow of authoritative historiography. The title What connects us, is the same, that keeps us apart (was uns verbindet, gleich dem, was uns getrennt) reflects on the railway line and how, on one hand, it connects places and people, and on the other, it cuts landscape apart. The Nordbahn once made the settlement of Jews in Vienna possible but it then went on to serve in their deportation.

The polyphonic conversations were conducted in several places. By inviting the conversation partners for a walk to talk about the history of the Nordbahnhof and their personal life and experiences in the new Nordbahnhof area, I incorporated their experiences, observations and knowledge of the place into the respective narrative. In this way new narratives are constructed. The Installation of “speaking objects” reflect these conversations. They invite the visitors to touch them, hold them in their hands and bring the voices close to their ears. In this way, a further participatory and performative action was presented in the exhibition.