EXHIBITION: ON A NIGHT TRIP

Between a High and a Crash?

October 20 to December 10, 2023
Opening: October 19, 2023
Defensionskaserne Petersberg, Erfurt

TAKING STOCK

“We’ve made a first mark.”

Stiftung Welt der Versuchungen exhibition closes, and the overall assessment is positive.

3,400 visitors, of whom one third were school students. 40 objects by up-and-coming and internationally renowned artists and from the world of science. No deterrents, no finger raised in moral admonishment: With its “ON A NIGHT TRIP. Between a feeling of happiness and crashing to the earth?“ exhibition at the Defension Barracks on Erfurt’s Petersburg, in fall 2023 Stiftung Welt der Versuchungen embarked on a new direction in addiction prevention. The overall assessment of the show is favorable, both retrospectively and looking forwards.

“Visitors exceeded our expectations in two respects,” comments Susanne Rockweiler, Chief Curator of Stiftung Welt der Versuchungen. “On the one hand, as regards the number of school classes, families, and individual visitors who took part in our guided tours or interacted with our education staff. On the other, in terms of their openness and the quality of the discussions that evolved.” The interaction with visitors took place during guided tours, in the exhibition, and in the framework of the countless events organized as part of the accompanying program. In the Foundation’s slightly unconventional Counter-Top Conversations, among others internationally famed musician Tabea Zimmermann and renowned researcher into addiction Prof. Rainer Spanagel discussed “Addiction, Music, Happiness, and the Neurosciences”; scientists Gregor Burkhart and Maximilian von Heyden analyzed international differences in handling psychoactive substances; and Prof. Christiane Stock, who works at the Charité Berlin, used the Virtual LimitLab to explain new findings in alcohol prevention. At the Kinoklub Erfurt movie theater, visitors together viewed the topical feature film One for the Road and then discussed dependency and the way out of it with people affected by addiction and persons active in addiction prevention / support.

The press response to the exhibition was likewise good. The German national press reviewed it positively, and this included the print media dailies, from “FAZ” to “BILD”, radio stations from Deutschlandfunk to Radio F.R.E.I., and TV channels from MDR to Salve TV.

The insights gained with ON A NIGHT TRIP will now be brought to bear in our next exhibition, which Stiftung Welt der Versuchungen is busy planning for summer 2024 on the topic of “social media” – and naturally also in our new exhibition hall, which the German federal government is helping fund and is scheduled to open in winter 2026-7 in Erfurt. “ON A NIGHT TRIP spawned many a conversation, encouraging people to ponder and revisit their thinking. At the same time, we ourselves learned a lot for our future work,” says Susanne Rockweiler. “Our assessment: We’ve made a first mark. This was possible thanks, not least, to our partners and supporters. We would in particular like to thank our Scientific Advisory Council with Gregor Burkhart, Katja Naie, Sarah Ancelle Schönfeld, Rainer Spanagel, and Maximilian von Heyden, SiT Addiction Support in Thuringia, as well as all our backers, the Thuringia Ministry for Labor, Social Affairs, Health, Women, and the Family, AOK Plus, and Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Hessen-Thüringen.”

Participating artists were: Nevin Aladağ, Asana Fujikawa, Stefani Glauber, Anatol Hanau, Martin Parr, Adrian Piper, Alona Rodeh, Sarah Ancelle Schönfeld, Philipp Stöckel, Nasan Tur and Paula Wolber.

Fig.: Alona Rodeh, In Dreams, production still Maya Luzon, short film, 2016/2019. Courtesy of the artist, Christine König Galerie Wien © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2023.

Nightlife is the culmination of all kinds of euphoria and the promise of feeling good. Unlike at work or school, it lures us with the temptation of transgression, and thus a state that often goes hand in hand with substance use: alcohol, ecstasy, cocaine, and cannabis are often as much a part of partying as are good music, flirting, and dancing.

What do people look for in clubs, at parties or festivals? Does an evening of partying always follow the same script? Where do the dangers lurk? These are questions we address. And are there night trips without the blues? We consider the question together with visitors. On A Night Trip facilitates a discourse about health in the party context in the heart of society – in a new and surprising way.

The exhibition was accompanied by a program that provided services for school classes and students, featuring discussions with and for club owners and clubbers, as well as lectures. A publication was also released.

Project partners:

Institute of Health and Nursing Science of the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Prevention Center and Subcheck of SiT – Suchthilfe in Thüringen gGmbH
Defensionskaserne – Frank Sonnabend

The aim of this and the coming exhibitions is to draw conclusions from the results and experiences that will be incorporated into the concept for the new institution.

Still available:

Bild Katalog
Catalogue: 10 EUR*