Moving Out of Town or How Do You Build a Prison?

In 2009, work started on the construction of a new large-scale prison at Grossbeeren, twenty kilometres south of central Berlin, on the edge of the city. In her video installation, Judith Siegmund investigates the background to the building of Heidering Prison. By carefully exploring and reflecting on the building site, the artist slowly uncovers the true nature of the project, and raises questions about the building of the prison. The video performance begins in an informative, journalistic style, but as it unfolds the artist abandons her position as reporter and assumes the roles of different people who live and work in the prison. Two documentary videos accompany the work, which show images of the site and its history, and include two interviews that deal with the origin of Heidering Prison.