I‘m delighted that BLAUES RAUSCHEN is back in Gelsenkirchen this year: for unusual sound experiments and installations, for sensual surprises.

Transformation and the interplay between the analog and the digital are particularly palpable in Gelsenkirchen on Bochumer Straße, right in the heart of the Ückendorf creative quarter. The neighborhood, which is home to „SZENIALE“ and the „places _ VR Festival,“ has been and continues to be shaped by change – not only, but very often by means of art. It faces the memory of yesterday and the challenges of tomorrow, while breathing culture and creative industries in today.

I am pleased that places that looked very different just a few years ago can now be venues for BLAUES RAUSCHEN – pulsating „environments on sonic material“. From here, the artists‘ works carry impulses into the city and region, connect us with our neighbors in Essen and Herne, and give us moments in which it is worthwhile to listen and look closely.

The confrontation with the unfamiliar acts as a beacon in times of crisis, reminding us how important it is to pause and listen, both for contemplation and for interaction with and in society. The power of sound and the fascination of art are at all times a building block that gives strength, creativity and energy to our togetherness, as well as the courage to tear down old walls and to leave familiar paths and tread new ones.

I would like to extend a warm welcome to all guests of BLAUES RAUSCHEN in Gelsenkirchen and wish you – and of course all artists – inspiring moments. May the proverbial spark fly here and in our neighboring cities!

Anne Heselhaus
Director for Culture, Education, Youth, Sports and Integration Gelsenkirchen