The KunstRaum Goethestrasse xtd plays an essential role as a place of implementation, preparation, and as a starting point for new perspectives. In “Jump!”, the KunstRaum Goethestrasse xtd became a production site, and the 2017 theme, “On the Power of Differences. Sometimes turbulence is so intense that things fly through the air!”, created a space for interpretation related to the conference theme, “Economy and Social Issues – A Contradiction? Working Together for Mental Health.”

“Jump! Moving Within the Image” explores the experience of being on the verge of a leap and the interplay of different forces and contrasts that are essential for an open and inclusive society. Colleagues, participants, and newsletter subscribers of the KunstRaum Goethestrasse xtd were invited to stage themselves in front of the camera, dressed in black or white, and perform a jump. Artistic works and popular photographs that address the theme of jumping were presented as inspiration for their own jumps.

The resulting photographs of people taking the plunge were hung on banners in the stairwell
at the conference venue. In the event room, portraits of the “jumpers” filled the walls, showcasing the numerous different jump formations and participants. Simultaneously, a video of the entire jump process was playing in the hall for everyone to see during the conference, accompanying the attendees throughout the event.

The photos represent the highest point of each jump, and after the banners were taken down, they were given to the participants. The project was intended to inspire, and participation offered the opportunity to explore one’s own associations with jumping and the movements of others. The KunstRaum Goethestrasse xtd provided a safe space for experimentation, self-reflection, and development. Not only users but also others consciously noticed this: A fourth-grade class from the neighboring elementary school, which had participated in a project with Foto Andraschek & Töchter years earlier, also joined in the jump.

Due to the profound opportunities for reflection and the expressiveness of the scenario, Jumping!

was used for a follow-up project by pro mente Upper Austria. As part of a personnel development project, ten managers took the plunge and gave statements about their perspective on leadership roles.