Collaborative Art Ecosystem
On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of nature enthusiast, humanist, visionary and composition genius
Ludwig van Beethoven, an international network of 150 participants under the direction
and idea of musician, geographer & transformation designer Darius Roncoszek co-created a global project : Twenty melodies from Beethoven's works were
recorded on
non-European musical instruments by musicians based in the Cologne-Bonn region. This sample databank was created
under the direction of Hans Zimmer's sample library developer Felix
Ohlert and was then used by music producers worldwide as the basis
for new tracks of electronic music. These new compositions were finally rearranged for a 35-piece brass orchestra (Youth Brass Band NRW).
The whole co-creation is designed upon sustainable, degrowth and minimalism based, fair, green, common-good-oriented and alternative ways of life. It shows a transdisciplinary designed process towards a just socio-ecological transformation:
- to promote cultural diversity the project is a collaboration with fifteen Cologne-Bonn-based musicians of diverse music cultures to record a sample databank of twenty known and unknown Beethoven pieces.
- to promote cultural heritage the project aims to upcycle & remix almost forgotten music by worldwide electronic music producers.
- to promote creative commons the samples and electronic compositions can be used and listened to for free.
- to promote socio-ecological projects the remixes are presented at green, transformational and zero waste festivals, in cultural spaces, at intergenerational bicycle rides or in "freeboxes".
- to include citizen participation a random local youth involvement and two remix contests (worldwide in cooperation with Arts Council England and regional in cooperation with Goethe Center in Cluj, Romania) were carried out.
-the project thus supports some of the sustainable development goals (SDGs): reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, quality eduction, gender equality and climate action.