The Irish street artist Joe Caslin comes to Cologne to create a street-art mural together with local artists.
This project will be the starting point for a socio-critical discussion about the reality of young adults’ lives. The focus will be on mental health, future perspectives in times of crisis and inspiring ideas for social and ecological sustainability.
The street art installation will be inspired by Köln-Ehrenfeld’s diverse surroundings: the historical streets, nowadays a place for parties, interculturality and charity. Surrounded by clubs, bars, playgrounds and restaurants, where different people get in touch and enjoy life, the artwork integrates into the alternative, kind, diverse, cohesive and tolerant community of Ehrenfeld, which is shaped and characterized by a history of strong, creative and social young adults.
Zwirbel e.V. and Joe Caslin both merge different people, cultures and ideas in their work. Irish and German artists will create art and perform together, inviting each other and the audience into a new space of collaboration and creativity.
More informationJoe Caslin is an Irish street artist, teacher and activist. He is particularly known for his impressive pencil-drawn street art works, in which he deals intensively with social ills of modern diverse society. In the 2015 referendum to legalize same-sex marriage in Ireland, Joe Caslin was instrumental as an ambassador through his many installations and was subsequently awarded Man of the Year.
Zwirbel e.V. was founded 2021 with headquarters in Cologne (NRW). The purpose of the association is the promotion of art and culture focussing on the organisation and execution of events. With the implementation of cultural events such as concerts, readings, street-art projects and festivals, they aim to promote young artists, especially in the field of music, literature and visual arts.. With their projects they seek to create pop-cultural bridges between rural and urban areas, enable intercultural encounters and provide a platform for young artists.
In 2017, Joe Caslin and members of Zwirbel e.V. were involved in the development and installation of Caslin’s project The Volunteers installed at Trinity College Dublin to decriminalize drug addiction in Ireland. In 2022, Joe Caslin and Zwirbel e.V. realized the project Together We Rise in cooperation with the Embassy of Ireland in Germany and Dr Hans-Riegel Stiftung. Today the mural can still be seen at Bartholomäus-Schink-Strasse in Cologne-Ehrenfeld.