Elbe Islands Creative Quarter

From 2007 to 2012, artists and creatives came together with citizens, urban planners and scientists to exchange ideas. In unusual locations with unusual methods, they discussed the (in)compatibility of art and urban development.

The dialogue between producers of culture and urban planners is not always easy. That makes it all the more important to look at the topics of art and culture, as they are often accused of instrumentalisation in the context of large-scale urban projects. With the IBAIBA Internationale Bauausstellung LABOR for art and urban development, IBA Hamburg has not only offered a broad-based discussion platform since 2007, but also a space for testing experimental forms of communication.

IBA Hamburg initiated and supported artistic and creative programmes to enhance the cultural diversity of the Elbe islands. In the Veringhöfe building, permanently affordable “Spaces for Art” were created. The “Art Makes Work” programme formed unconventional alliances between artists and employment agencies – e.g. as is the case in the “Stoffdeck” co-working space. The independently curated “IBA Art Platform” promoted the interaction of visual arts and urban development, for example in the “Culture | Nature” or “Academy of Another City” formats. And the “Projects for Cultural Diversity” supported initiatives or creatives from the quarter.