The project
The earth’s groundwater reserves are finite. In many regions of the world, usable water reservoirs are dwindling. The consequences for people worldwide are dramatic.
An intercultural art project has drawn attention to the sinking groundwater levels worldwide: Under the title „Not a hand’s depth of water,” 100 historic wooden paddle boats were carried across the Huy-Mountain in Saxony-Anhalt and are displayed in an exhibition on the 29th of August.
Several panel-discussions were held as part of this exhibition. This exhibition was on show in Huy-Neinstedt until the 2nd of October 2021. At these events, farmers, conservationists and ecologists discussed the problem of water scarcity in the world and its regional consequences. The resulting conclusions and proposals formed the basis for the exhibition in the barn. The results continuously flowed into the growing exhibition.
Procedure
Carrying boats across the Huy-Mountain
Around 80 volunteers carried 30 historic wooden paddle boats over the almost 15-kilometre route from Halberstadt to Huy-Neinstedt on the 24th of July 2021.
Exhibition opening
The historic handmade wooden paddle boats will be displayed in Huy-Neinstedt in an cathedral-like old barn. The installation „Not a hand's depth of water” opens at 4 p.m on the 29th of August 2021 .
Panel discussions
The exhibition „Not a hand's depth of water” will be accompanied by four panel discussions. Farmers, politicians, conservationists and ecologists will discuss the issue of water scarcity in the world and its consequences at these events.
1st Panel 29.08.2021, 6 pm
2nd Panel 04.09.2021, 2 pm
3rd Panel 10.09.2021, 6 pm
4th Panel 24.09.2021, 6 pm
The debated topics and resulting ideas, suggestions and pieces of art-work will continuously supplement and expand this exhibition.
End of exhibition
Finissage 02.10.2021, 6 pm
The art and environmental project „Not a hand's depth of water” ended on the 2nd of October, with a finissage.
As a "bonus", there was a dance concert that evening with the young, international band „Cumbia Casselera” from Kassel.
What do we know about climate change - What do we want to achieve, and who do we want to reach with our project?
1st Panel
29.08.2021, 6 pm
29.08.2021, 6 pm
Joanna Hirschberg lives and works in Huy-Neinstedt. There she runs the certified organic permaculture farm ‚tausendblatt‘ in Peramkultur there together with her husband Lienhard Wegewitz.
Sahir Safaya and Sana Kalaji (mother and daughter) are Syrian refugees from Aleppo and now live in Halberstadt. Sahir Safaya works voluntarily as an integration guide in the Harz district. Sana Kalaji graduated from high school in Halberstadt and recently received a „Grips Gewinnt” student scholarship from the Joachim Herz Foundation in Hamburg. She has already been working on the topic of recycling at school and will be taking part in a seminar in Berlin in August entitled „Shaping the Environment Sustainably”.
Odinaka Uche Okolo from Nigeria is a master’s student in „Global Political Economy and Development” at the International Centre for Development and Decent Work (ICDD) at the University of Kassel. Among other things, he is an active member of the „Fridays for Future” movement.
Marviento Rios Bolaños from Mexico is a master’s student in „Visual Communication” at the Kassel University of the Arts, specializing in film and animated film. He is working on an animated film for „Not a hand’s depth of water” on the subject of the sinking water table in the Huy.
Michael Schmidt from Cremlingen am Elm holds a degree in geography and is the director of the Amtshof Eicklingen planning company of the LEADER region „Grünes Band im Landkreis Helmstedt”. In addition, the Vorharz and Huy-enthusiast is also the manager of the LEADER region around the Huy.
Ilka Leukefeld will moderate the panel discussion. She is a freelance artist and initiator of the 100-boat caravan across the Huy and completed her academic, artistic training in London.
Global Political Economy of Water Scarcity - the global climate change is affecting human beings - yes, also in the middle of the Huy-region
2nd Panel
04.09.2021, 2 pm
04.09.2021, 2 pm
Jeannine Tabea Schach (is a law student in Bingen) and Luca Hielscher (studies environmental climate protection and climate change in Jena). Both grew up in Halberstadt an were organizers of the first „Fridays for Future” actions in Halberstadt 2019 /2020.
Prof. Dr. Andrea Heilmann (lecturer at the Harz University of Applied Sciences in Wernigerode). She is particularly interested in the implementation of sustainable development in the field of climate protection, environmental engineering and environmental and sustainability management.
Oliver Wendenkampf (graduate biologist/marine science) is chairman of the regional association NaturFreunde Deutschlands, Saxony-Anhalt. He advocates projects to preserve biodiversity in Saxony-Anhalt.
Odinaka Uche Okolo from Nigeria (studying Master „Global Political Economy and Development” at the International Centre for Development and Decent Work (ICDD) at the University of Kassel) has been living in Germany since 2018. The student has taken courses in global political ecology and climate sustainability and helps organize the climate camp in Kassel. He is also an active member of the Fridays for Future movement there.
Justus Hallegger (studies Master „Global Political Economy and Development” at the International Centre for Development and Decent Work (ICDD) at the University of Kassel). The Halberstadt native is involved with „Scientists for Future” and supports „Fridays for Future” in Kassel. Justus Hallegger provided the 100 boats for the Huy Caravan on July 24 and the exhibition „Not a hand’s depth of water”.
Simon Schairer (translator Arabic and English, master student „Global political Economy and Development” at the University of Kassel) moderates the panel discussion.
Three continents - Dried up earth
Nigeria, Mexico and Germany in comparison
3rd Panel
10.09.2021, 6 pm
10.09.2021, 6 pm
Dr. Paul Dörfler from Kemberg (Wittenberg district in Saxony-Anhalt) holds a doctorate in natural science, is a freelance author and environmentalist. He wrote several environmental studies on the ecological situation in the GDR, which were not allowed to be published before 1989. In 1989, he was one of the co-founders of the Green Party in the GDR. Today, he is active in the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (Association for the Environment and Nature Conservation in Germany), primarily for the protection of the Elbe River and the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Anneli Eva Borgmann from the chess village of Ströbeck (Halberstadt) has a degree in geoecology. Since 2000, the Alliance Green has worked for the organization Internationale Jugendgemeinschaftsdienste (ijgd) in Saxony-Anhalt as a consultant. She also contributes as a city councilor, district council member and local council member in Ströbeck.
Marviento Rios Bolaños is a master’s student in visual communication at the Kunsthochschule Kassel. Marviento Rios Bolaños is working on an animated film for „Not a aand’s depth of water” on the subject of the sinking water table in the Huy, which will be shown on the day of the finissage of the Huy-Neinstedt exhibition on October 2. Furthermore, the student participated in the program of Extinction Rebellion’s climate camp in Berlin in front of the Bundestag and at Potsdamer Platz.
Justus Hallegger (studies Master „Global Political Economy and Development” at the International Centre for Development and Decent Work (ICDD) at the University of Kassel). The Halberstadt native is involved with „Scientists for Future” and supports „Fridays for Future” in Kassel. Justus Hallegger provided the 100 boats for the Huy Caravan on July 24 and the exhibition „Not a hand’s depth of water” and leads the third panel.
Where is our water? Drought in the Vorharz and Huy region - affected farmers and locals report
4th Panel
24.09.2021, 6 pm
24.09.2021, 6 pm
Ulrich Kundler from Halberstadt is a graduate engineer for water management. He works at various levels of the water management administration and for water protection.
Susan Sziborra-Seidlitz from Quedlinburg is the state chairwoman of the Green Party in Saxony-Anhalt, and has been a member of the state parliament of the Greens in Saxony-Anhalt since 2021. She previously worked as a nurse at the Harzklinikum Dorothea Christiane Erxleben in Quedlinburg.
Thomas Handrick has been an organic farmer in Klein Quenstedt since 1992. He is involved in the organic farming association „Verbund Ökohöfe“ and is a member of the extended board of „Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft e.V.“ (BÖLW).
Hannah Schairer is a Master student of Physical Geography: Climate and Environmental Sciences at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. She actively supports the Fridays for Future movement and the Extinction Rebellion movements.
Ilka Leukefeld, artistic director of the project „Not a hand’s depth of water,” will moderate the panel discussion. She is a freelance artist and initiator of the 100-boat caravan across the Huy and completed her academic artistic training in London.
Film about the action
Sources
Odinaka Uche Okolo – Using Monetary Policy and Banking Regulation for Climate Change in Nigeria
Hanna Schairer – Cryosphere and water cycle: Water availability and security in high mountain regions. (German)
Justus Hallegger – Political-Philosophical View on Water Scarcity and Climate Change (German)
Sahir Safaya and Sana Kalaji – Water shortage in Syria (German)
Dr. Antje J. Gornig – Water and its sacral meaning (German)
Christhard Läpple – Over the Mountain (German) / Letter to Halberstadt (German)
Gallery
80 boat-carriers transported 30 historic wooden boats across the Huy from Halberstadt to Huy Neinstedt on 24th of July 2021. For the 15-kilometre mountainous route, the carriers were on the road for about six and a half hours. The remaining boats were transported by boat-trailer, so that a total of 100 boats passed the Huy. „It was a beautiful day all around and we hope that with the action, regionally, nationwide and maybe internationally, we can get people to take action and fight for our environment. It is up to us to take action now,“ urges the artistic director of the project, Ilka Leukefeld.
This project is sponsored by:
