This is what it's all about.
The {}() {}∆‡!(){} Tangential Unspace Art Lab (abbreviated {}() {}∆‡!(){}) is a non-commercial art space in the heart of Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Since 2010, it has been a venue for performances, exhibitions, video screenings, and other experimental art formats. Furthermore, it provides living studios for artists from all over the world.
The focus of the {}() {}∆‡!(){} art lab is performance art. Two to three performance festivals are held every month. By August of this year, over 200 artists had already been given a platform to present their work. An experimental approach is constantly encouraged – without any thematic constraints, allowing the artists complete freedom to decide what they present to the audience.
Through its residency program and its proximity to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), one of the most prestigious art schools in the USA with its own Master’s degree program in performance art, the lab attracts international talent. Consequently, an extremely diverse and multi-layered history of performances has emerged over the years, for which extensive documentation exists – a large portion of it is available for the documentary film.
Direction and editing are in the hands of Wassili Widmer, an artist who was themselves a guest at the {}() {}∆‡!(){} art lab in 2016 and 2025. In addition to more than 1000 hours of performance archive footage, the art lab’s premises were also filmed. This material is supplemented by interviews with Amaya, the curator of the space, as well as with various artists and performance experts connected to the {}() {}∆‡!(){}.
My project is special because ...
The Wicker Park neighborhood in Chicago has undergone significant gentrification over the past 15 years. Where numerous art spaces were once found, there are now primarily bars, clothing stores, and other shops. The {}() {}∆‡!(){} Art Lab is the only remaining non-commercial art space still located in the neighborhood. In addition to a high monthly rent, there is a constant risk that a large corporation could buy out the space. There have already been several inquiries about a potential sale, but the price demands of the property owner have not yet been met. The {}() {}∆‡!(){} is not just a platform and residency for artists, but a constantly expanding museum that has been created through a 15-year process. Countless artworks and performance relics can be found in every nook and cranny of the house.
Another important characteristic of the {}() {}∆‡!(){} Art Lab is the political component found in many of the works. Due to the curatorial freedom and the diverse, international contributions, the artists are often motivated to address difficult political topics. This refers not only to the USA but also, for example, to artists from Central and South America who present politically precarious situations as part of their work. However, the politically uncertain climate, which is leaning strongly to the right, poses dangers not only for artists conveying political content but also for spaces like the {}() {}∆‡!(){} Art Lab that provide a platform for these themes.
Thus, the {}() {}∆‡!(){} Art Lab faces the real danger of losing its premises and, consequently, its freedoms. This would also mean the end of the unique museum and a platform for diverse and critical voices. The documentary film «No Nation» is a testament to this unique place, aiming not only to capture it in time but also to demonstrate its uniqueness and significance. Through the successful realization of the film, the chance grows that the {}() {}∆‡!(){} Art Lab will be recognized as an important institution of the city of Chicago and can therefore continue to exist.
This is what I need backing for.
The funding for this project enables the professional production of the documentary film. The first major part of the work involves reviewing and organizing the over 1000 hours of archive material. Subsequently, it will be sorted thematically and prepared for editing. Additionally, the six hours of interview material already recorded need to be processed—this means editing the sound and picture and also structuring it into thematic chapters.
Furthermore, a trip to a performance archive with a corresponding interview is planned, which aims to provide another perspective on alternative performance spaces.
All the material will finally be merged into a coherent documentary titled «No Nation.» After the editing is completed, a professional post-production process for sound and picture will follow, resulting in a polished, cohesive work of 60 to 90 minutes in length.
Director Wassili Widmer is responsible for the archive editing, the interviews, and the film edit. The sound and picture editing will be carried out in collaboration with external specialists. Additionally, the {}() {}∆‡!(){} Art Lab will receive a contribution of CHF 1,500 for providing the archive and half of all rights of the movie.
