On July, 28, after a two day's trip to Chisinau the first four project members Julia Heunemann, Marie-Susann Zeise, Georg Waldmann and Matei Cioata arrived in the capital of Moldova in order to prepare the Project: Synapses.
They met various cultural initiatives as the "Open Air Cinema" by the Union of Plastic Artists in cooperation with the Robert Bosch Stiftung as well as the lectures of the project "MD-RO" by ksa:k, Center for Contemporary Art. These occasions opened the space for discourses about history, culture and arts in Moldova and Romania.
The industrial hall which already had been organized months ago turned out to be inadequate to house Project: Synapses as it is located in the outer periphery of Chisinau. Consequently the search of an other space for working and exhibiting began.
The search was supported by the project's partners Corina Girla, Gerhard Ohrband, Vanja Savic, Lilia Dragneva and Vladimir Us, as well as by the Union of Plastic Artists.
From the beginning the project met interest and open minds in Chisinau and therefore its organizers were encouraged to not just watch out for industrial spaces but considered also other significant buildings of the town which are recently out of use.
The building of the former Soviet Circus raised fascination and inspiration already in the beginning of the research. Further reflections about the space discovered significant analogies with the project's idea. The building as a central institution for intercultural encounters and interactions of various disciplines creates a connecting element among the participants of the project.
The building itself has been completed in 1982 during the period of the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic (MSSR) and was showing presentations of circus ensembles from all over the world. Five years ago it has been declared as out of function and was closed to the public. By now the ministry is looking for new investors.
Thanks to the support of our partners as well to as the recommendation of the German Embassy in Chisinau and the staff of the circus we convinced the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Moldova to provide this building as a working and exhibition space for Project: Synapses.
On 16th of August eight more participants of the project arrived in Chisinau to help preparing the circus for the upcoming workshops and events: Tina Machleb, Frauke Klinker, Robert Genschorek, Marc Sauter, Alexander von Knorre, Maik Gramatte, Bianka Langnickel and Thomas Gnahm.
