We were invited – to Wrocław, the European Capital of Culture 2016, because a team from Wrocław 2016 is still working as Culture Zone Wrocław to continue the momentum of the application period and the successes of the programme year. Deeply connected to many other past and future European Capitals of Culture, the team also wants to support ECoC candidate cities and therefore announced a residency. Our application was followed by an invitation – and so Eva Gräfer from our application team, Diana Kopka from the Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz and Henrike Schmitz from the Klub Solitaer travelled to Wrocław for a marathon of exciting encounters. Besides networking, the exchange focused on learning how Wrocław has sustainably set up the ECoC process, how the artist-in-residence programme AIR Wro was developed and is still being implemented today, and how the internationalisation of urban projects has succeeded. Our small delegation visited the Wro Art Center of the renowned Multimedia Biennale WRO, the OP ENHEIM collection, and ART Transparent, a gallery for contemporary art and host of the international art festival SURVIVAL.

Finally, as a farewell, we agreed on a joint residency for Chemnitz artists next year and invited the AIR Wro team to Chemnitz.

We look forward to seeing you again.