"How do German teenagers spend their spare time?"
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Passport Carriers at the Consulate General
(© Germany.info/Chicago)
In preparation for their travel to dOCUMENTA in Kassel in August, 10 students from the South Side of Chicago visited the Consulate General on May 29, 2012.
The group is called Passport Carriers and their trip to Germany is supported by Rebuild Foundation and the artist Theaster Gates.
The students all attend Little Black Pearl - an art school where they have the opportunity to specialize in a specific artistic field such as pottery, glass blowing or music production. Prior to their journey abroad, the teenagers are participating in Theaster Gates’ art project, which will be presented at the dOCUMENTA and are therefore directly involved with the exhibition in Germany.
None of the students has travelled abroad before and they are all really excited to receive their passports this summer.
The group had a lot of questions to ask Vice Consul Gunnar Christiansen about the German culture, technology and especially the daily life of German teenagers.
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Passport Carriers during discussion
(© Germany.info/Chicago)
Vice Consul Gunnar Christiansen gave some helpful advice for getting along on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Geographical differences, appropriate greetings, tipping and many more topics were discussed. “How does the Euro look like?”, “Is water also served for free at restaurants?” and “Will people understand me when I’m speaking English?” were just a few of the many questions asked.
The visit was an enrichment for both sides and the Consulate General is already looking forward to meeting the group again in the fall to evaluate their experiences.
What is the dOCUMENTA?
A 100-day museum of contemporary art: dOCUMENTA (13), one of the most important and internationally famous contemporary art exhibitions, opens on June 9, 2012 in Kassel. The exhibition will present a wide variety of topical international artistic positions until September 16. The works of more than 100 international artists be on show in 2012 at various locations in Kassel. The genres represented will include painting and sculpture, as well as installations, performances, photography and film.
