ALPHA INDUSTRIES

Tim Ehrich, Paul Glaw & Lena Mai Merle, 2021

Historical inscriptions and narratives shape today, as they did in the past, the self-image of residents in (post-)industrial and port cities. These narratives expose individuals in their class affiliation and their relation to the local economy. It also manifests in the appearance of public space, including its infrastructural and architectural elements. Engaging with themes such as colonial exploitation, fast fashion, migration, and European refugee policies, the somewhat problematic narrative of industrialization and its environments led the three artists—Tim Ehrich, Paul Glaw, and Lena Mai Merle—to explore their respective origins and the unique histories and psychologies of their birthplaces: Lübeck, Halle, and Wuppertal.
During the Covid 19 pandemic and a series of lockdowns, the artists staged interventions in public and digital space involving a giant Medusa raft referencing Gericault’s painting, a conglomerate of metal tool sculptures, an irregularly blown ship's horn, AR elements and face filters, Alpha Industries sweatshirts and a painting pop up show in the Lübeck harbour area.

Thank you to Kulturfunke Lübeck for support and funding