Anne Diestelkamp
cultural programmer, artistic researcher/ editor and translator
Community-Dinner
Paula Erstmann and Lucila Guichon
Former fire department Wolfen, Germany
2024
After three weeks of programming in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, my colleagues and I began to think about how we could bring the OSTEN Festival 2024 to a close in a way that felt meaningful. We wanted to highlight the voices of people from Bitterfeld and Wolfen and look ahead with a sense of optimism.
We decided to end the festival with a communal dinner — a long table set up in front of the former fire station in Wolfen, where local residents and festival artists could come together. The meal was prepared by artists Paula Erstmann and Lucila Guichon.
In the months leading up to the festival, the two had toured different communities in Bitterfeld-Wolfen with their mobile kitchen, talking with people about food, taste, and rituals. Along the way, they gathered local recipes and stories.
For the festival’s closing evening, we invited everyone who had taken part in these encounters, along with the participating artists, to join the dinner. Beforehand, we asked each guest to bring a personal idea or vision for the future of the Bitterfeld-Wolfen region to share at the table.
📷 Falk Wenzel