Patrons: Gesche Glück, Diana Kalb, Christiane König, Philipp Pältz-Nitsche, Rosa Reiprich, Anne Schmachtel, Andy Zwicker

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Commission: For our commission Im Wandel verbunden (In Transition, Connected), we would like to invite artists to explore together with us how change in Pegau can become visible, tangible and alive – as a process that connects rather than divides. We wish for something that endures even after the artists move on: a ritual, a place, a structure that repeatedly brings people together and contributes to the long-term vitality of Pegau.

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Mediator: Diana Wesser

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Artist: Franziska Pierwoss

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Period: 2026 ongoing

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Partner: Kulturstiftung des Bundes

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Program: Citizen-Commissioned Dance and Performance

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Pegau is a small town in Saxony in transition – between rural surroundings and the Leipzig metropolitan region, between historical identity and new forms of connection, between vacancy, industrial sites of memory and future spaces for the local community.

After the profound upheavals following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the town is once again undergoing change. Thanks to its good connection to Leipzig and the economic transformation of the region, new residents are moving to Pegau while others leave. Established structures are dissolving, while new ones are only just beginning to emerge. A further major shift still lies ahead for the former mining region with the phase-out of lignite coal by 2038.

The New Patrons of Pegau – a group of long-time residents, returnees and newcomers – feel closely connected to the town. They understand these changes and transitions as a potential and as an opportunity to actively work together towards a good way of living in Pegau.

“Between retreat and new beginnings, we are looking for ways to shape change in Pegau together – not as spectators, but as co-creators of our town.”

From the comission

For the group, this is also a search for a collective “we” in Pegau. And because this “we” is meant to include more people than the patrons themselves, they first carried out a survey among Pegau’s residents to find out what people value about their town and what they feel is missing. Based on this knowledge, they formulated the commission for Pegau under the title Im Wandel verbunden (In Transition, Connected).

An artistic approach should make upheaval experienceable – “as a process that connects rather than divides,” as stated in the commission. The group wants to commission an artwork that involves as many people as possible and encourages active participation. Their aim is not a quickly completed piece, but a project that builds trust, makes room for diversity, brings generations together and has a lasting, enlivening impact on the future of the local community.

At the beginning of the commissioning process was the desire for a new place for encounter and togetherness in the town. In the conversations with mediator Diana Wesser, however, it quickly became clear that the ideas and needs were diverse. No single fixed space could do justice to all of them. But what if one thinks the other way around? Perhaps community does not always begin with a new place. Perhaps it can also emerge through shared action – and in doing so, create space for new encounters. The group is thus commissioning something that endures: a ritual, a place, a structure that repeatedly brings people together and contributes to the long-term vitality of Pegau.

The patrons unanimously chose mediator Diana Wesser’s proposal and invited artist Franziska Pierwoss to respond to their commission. At the heart of Franziska Pierwoss’s work are situations and settings that bring people from different backgrounds together. Her projects often begin with an invitation—to share a meal, go for a walk, watch a film in an improvised cinema, or join a festival in public space. 

The performance does not take place on a stage, but emerges through the interaction of everyone involved. There are no traditional spectators; everyone present becomes part of the work. The dramaturgy develops through these encounters, while the outcome remains deliberately open. In this way, Pierwoss creates spaces for exchange, negotiation, and shared experience—just as the group in Pegau envisions.

Franziska Pierwoss works site-specifically and collaboratively, including with curator Sandra Teitge, artist and filmmaker Siska, and curator and artist Jonas Leifert. Her performances have been presented internationally at the Fast Forward Festival in Athens, Sharjah Biennial 13, Urbane Künste Ruhr, Literaturforum Brecht-Haus, and nGbK. As a transformation manager, Franziska Pierwoss also supports cultural organizations and individuals in implementing ecological sustainability.

“I appreciate that all the commissioners come from completely different professional fields, while at the same time we all share a strong interest in social coexistence.”

Franziska Pierwoss, artist

“Art commissioned by citizens turns the usual hierarchies upside down.”

Franziska Pierwoss, artist