7×7: Introduction of 7 entrepreneurs from Karlsruhe within the fields of culture and creative economics
On Monday, 25 September 2017, seven creative folks in seven minutes took place again in the Tollhaus Karlsruhe. After I had experienced the previous event in May, this time, all the new, diverse and interesting ideas managed to fascinate me again.
7×7: Seven Creative Minds present their ideas in only seven minutes
Already in May I was impressed by the exciting and entertaining presentations of the creative people, who stood up to the challenge of presenting their business ideas and proving their skills in only seven minutes. The September edition has not let me down either: Seven interesting and multifaceted presentations of culture and creative economics were given. Martin Wacker was the host of the evening.
7×7: KNUDDELS, Holger Kujath, Mathias Retzlaff
Knuddels is a social network, establishing itself successfully as a competitor to all of the famous and powerful networks of Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter. It has come into existence in 1999 and is one of the oldest German social networks.
Knuddels is all about chatting, playing, flirting. CEO Holger Kujath believes that Knudells‘s users often keep in touch over lengthy periods of time. He announced a forthcoming innovation of the platform’s design. His vision: Knuddels is to become a cozy but global Café. In order to achieve that, artificial intelligence is needed to bring people together.
At the end of the short presentation pitch, Holger urged for creative business ideas that should accompany creative programming.
7×7: CONTEMP-RENT, Fahar Al-Salih, Yvone Hohner
Contemp-Rent is an art startup, standing for „a life full of art”. The art pieces can be found in the Showroom of Contemp-Rent, right next to the Schauburg, or even online.
Since everything can purchased online, why not art as well? Yvonne Hohner asked herself. Artistic objects can be bought starting 350 €, and they can be rented starting 5 € a month. Should one have difficulties in deciding for anything, an interior expert can provide expert advice.
The art deposit account can easily turn the paid rent into credit. Suppose one has fallen in love with a rented art object. The object can be purchased with a reduced price, since the rent one has paid is seen as a prior investment, and set off against the initial price of the product.
7×7: VR I PLAYSPACE, Jonas Landes, Leander Hille
Jonas Landes and Leander Hille provide with their VR I Playspace the experience of virtual reality without the drawback of buying high priced Virtual Reality Glasses. Virtual worlds and characters become more and more realistically designed. However, Leander Hille emphasizes, they are still often visualized in 2D quality and the use of the mouse is still needed. Virtual Reality is the quantum leap in the 3D gaming experience.
Jonas Landes presented the diverse possibilities of Virtual Reality Gaming: The 7×7 spectators could follow him in 2D, and the places he was entering in his own 3D world. These virtual places include Action Games, Paint and Design Programs like Tiltl Brush, virtual cultural landscapes in which one can clearly visit and admire for example the Mona Lisa.
VR I Playspace is the first Virtual Reality Arcade in Baden-Württemberg. Virtual Reality Arcade ist a collective term used for facilities where customers can use VR-Hardware. VR Playspace changes its location, from the Günter Glotz Anlage to the Kaiser Passage.
7×7: THE PERCUSSIONIST, Leonie Klein
Leonie Klein alias „The Percussionist“ masters the complete musical arsenal: whether it‘s the kettledrum, thunder sheet, vibraphone or the drum.
Contemporary rhythms come together and provide a unique musical experience and are accompanied by an impressive performance, which Leonie Klein offers to her spectators.
It was thrilling to take part in the passion and fervor that make out her skills. These require, however, at least eight hours of daily training. But Leonie lives her life to the fullest. She decided not to play in an orchestra and be an individualist artist instead. This way, she can perform freely, do her own thing and meet lots of people. She said, yes, that’s a wonderful life!
7×7: ATELIER REMISE, Maria Karipidou, André Rösler
The Studio Remise is a graphic studio at the Alter Schlachthof. Hand-made pictures are crafted here, which convey a new, original pespective on things. For example, the pig-drawings for the event „Schwein gehabt” (a German expression translating into something like „having been dead lucky“) were crafted in the studio. The drawings offer an insight into the diversity accumulated in the creative atmosphere of the Alter Schlachthof.
It was extremely interesting and entertaining to admire the different illustrations and follow their stories.
André Rösler, Professor for Illustration, explained:
- Illustrations can turn the abstract into a concrete (visible) entity
- Illustrations can trigger the fantasy. The studio‘s illustrators have created different drawings of bikes, ridden by pigs and other creatures.
- Illustrations tell different stories. Multiple stories can be conveyed by means of one picture, or even two. The latter almost turns into an animation graphic. Thus, a whole world is disclosed within illustrations.
- Illustrations can transfer feelings and emotions. Emotions are the real entry-pass to the actual stories.
Gleichzeitig hat Maria Karipidou At the same time, Maria Karipidou created a graphic recording of the talk: a visual report. She has been using this technique for a little while, also applying it to my own presentation about Living in Karlsruhe at the Netzstrategen event.
The studio offers a exhibition of illustrations; children‘s books are available for sale and different workshops can be booked.
7×7: PIANO WORKSHOP at the ALTER SCHLACHTHOF, Gunther Knorre, Hans Milde
The Piano manufacturers Hans Milde, Gunther Knorre and Stefan Nothelfer Pianowerkstatt have been offering since 2008 a fully ecquipped piano service shop at the Schlachthof location. The service includes reconditioning, reparation and restoration of antique instruments as well as customer service.
Piano manufacturers do not always speak the same language as piano players, Hans Milde explained. Not every individual has the same acustic perception, music perception differs from person to person. Thus, the manufacturer has to cater to every customer‘s needs which makes the whole enterprise a very personal matter. The piano has been around for about 120 years, which makes it very appealing for today`s society. The piano manufactrers aim at establishing a value stability in a fast-paced lifestyle.
7×7: SIDEKICK PICTURES GMBH, Serdar Dogan, Atilla Lifeson, David Becker
The fellows from Sidekick Pictures , Serdar Dogan, Atilla Lifeson and David Becker offer „films for everyone“, whether it concerns a movie, commercials or music videos. Serdar Dogan told us on the 7×7 stage that the movie is a very emotional medium and that they, thus like to try and test a lot of unconventional stuff around it.
Another aim of the movie production company is transcending bounderies, which they definitely achieved with their film „The 8th Continent” getan haben. The movie tells the story of a young woman which, after her mother‘s death, has to come to terms with the fact that a reconciliation is impossible.
Faithful to the credo that nothing is impossible, Serdar Dogan turns the impossible into possible. Notwithstanding the precarious budget and various other obstacles, he managed to fulfill his dream of a global road movie.
Emotions remain very important to Sidekick Pictures. This is shown in their Durlach Imagefilm – a magical town. Durlach is very significant for Serdar Dogan, as it represents his new home town. Since I also like Durlach very much, I personally enjoyed his own enchantment with the place.
Conclusion of the 7×7 evening September 2017
The seven creative presentations have demonstrated once again what a marvellous concentration of ingenuity the Altes Schlachthof and Karlsruhe in general harbour. All the presentations were multifarious, interesting, emotional and knowledge enhancing. Not only the talks, but also the conversations thereafter lead to wonderfully productive discussions and very pleasant acquaintances. I have come to value such encounters in Karlsruhe: a perfect mix of information input and wonderful people.
Thanks a lot to everybody who makes 7×7 possible again and again!
7×7 is a cooperative event of the Culture Office and the Economic Development of the City of Karlsruhe, of the K3 Culture- and Creative Trade Office Karlsruhe, the association ausgeschlachtet e.V. and des Culture Center Tollhaus.
Images: © Johanna Wies
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