ETHNOGRAPHICAL LANDSCAPE Potoc village - with its some 200 inhabitants - is located in Southwest Romania, close to the Serbian border, just a stone´s throw away from Danube river. This area in the ethnically rich Balkan region marks the border between the occidental and oriental sphere and looks back onto a history full of change. Ever-changing ruling systems, war and invasion, people continuously migrating and settling again have formed a unique tradition and multiethnical culture; a form of human life that is expressed in archaic forms and elements to be found in architectural and settlement structures. The recent years have brought a new movement: The beauty and magic of people and nature inspires young artists, architects, and intellectuals to move to the villages of the national preservation area called "Cheile Nerei". Low landprices and an almost non-existing commercial tourism or other kinds of strategical development support this soft change. People meet for joint activities, workshops, and art happenings of all kinds. The great challenge here, however, is to protect the area, and not to exploit it. - For this purpose, a range of concepts, ideas, and strategies shall be conceived and tested during PAO.5.
SCHOOL OF CREATIVITY The former schoolbuilding of Potoc has been left unused for years. The building itself is situated above the village in the midst of hills. Directly adjacent are the Roman-Orthodox church and the House of Culture of Potoc - obviously, the school, once, was one of the center points of the village. Not many years ago, every village still had its own school, where children from first up to the forth grade were taught. Now, as the young people move away to the cities, the villages but overage and decline. The younger generations are simply missing. - Recognising this situation, new ideas shall be found as to how the place can be safed from declining, how artistic and architectural intervention may contribute to the villages revitalisation. The general idea is to reconsider the school as a meeting point for creative people – a platform for events like summerschools, holiday camps, workshops etc. A place whose creative spirit brings new life to the village.
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