The Art Camp Lärz, organized by Soziale Bildung e.V., served as a reminder that art is a process of questioning and playing. Together with young participants from across Europe, we deconstructed the flag—not as a symbol of nationality, but as a space where protest, personal stories, and collective aspirations converge.
We embarked on performative walks, collected fragments of nature—sticks, stones, even the wind—and transformed them into raw materials for visual and installation art. The flag ceased to be merely a symbol of nationhood. It became an open invitation to create utopias, pose challenging questions, and explore who we are as individuals within a collective.
Their courage was inspiring. It wasn’t perfect; it was honest. They created, argued, imagined, and, most importantly, dared to be vulnerable. They taught us, and each other, to trust the process, to value tensions as much as resolutions, and to remember that creativity thrives in an environment where fear is replaced by possibility.
Our aim was not to give instructions but to create a space where they could push boundaries, question ideas, and unapologetically be themselves. There was no censorship—only room for discussion.
It became clear that creating a space for care and autonomy not only enabled aesthetic engagement but also facilitated a symbolic rupture—one in which participants, by dismantling dominant structures and symbolic orders, accessed a practice of creative audacity.