GUNPOWDER DEPOT – SPACE OF INSPIRATIONv

Project description

SCENATORIA is doing a long-term project “Gunpowder depot - space of inspiration” with the aim to promote this endangered cultural monument, under official protection, but neglected and dilapidated. Within this framework several projects were realised, all including and empowering local residents to become decision makers and managers of “Joseph” gunpowder depot. "Joseph" gunpowder depot holds great potential to become a social and tourist hot spot, cultural and info centre, place of gatherings and exchange, new point in Petrovaradin fortress visit. Complex of "Joseph" gunpowder depot is ambience in "Wasserstadt" - Suburb of Petrovaradin Fortress, which was in 1991 pronounced for "cultural-historical complex of significance". It is a specific object built for military purposes, with a very interesting and complex plan, containing a central part of irregular triangle shape and two wings of cannon batches. It went through several changes from 1761, when it was first shown on maps of Fortress, until the 1990s, when it was abandoned and left to decay. Since, every now and then, “Joseph” is used as shooting locations / movie and music video productions, as unofficial landfill and rarely by homeless people. Scenatoria cleaned and promoted it through various activities several times in the last decade. In 2020, two music events were produced in this cultural monument. Concerts of jazz trio and improvised music were organised during pandemics without and with limited number of audience, and adjusted in comparison with original idea - larger event with audience on location, due changes in circumstances. Thus, they were particularly carefully recorded and promoted on social networks. These events - opposite in character, were as such deliberately chosen and juxtaposed to additionally emphasise acoustic and various spatial potentials of Powder Depot. As most of “Scenatoria”projects have space as focus and emphasise its potential through artistic activities that specifically point out qualities of a given place, inability of audience to experience spaces in vivo imposed transformation in cultural events production. Previously used methods and technologies - video, internet, social networks - were used as mediums to bring closer events to the audience. Implementation of these projects in changed circumstances posed a set of questions, including future of site-specific events, online presentation of heritage space and cultural events, and many others.