HIER & JETZT:Connections (HUJ:C) is an exchange and residency program for artists in exile. The initiative was launched in 2017 by artists of B.L.O. Ateliers in Berlin-Lichtenberg. 

We collaborate and exchange ideas on a collegial and informal basis and thus create a platform for art, learning and communication. We define exile as the loss of one’s social context and working environment in the country of origin for an uncertain period of time. Our structure supports the arrival and artistic production of those who recently came to Berlin. With help of our cross-cultural network we organize workshops, artist talks, film screenings, open studios and exhibitions. We invite experts and the public to share new social footholds and artistic incentives with people from various cultures.

HIER & JETZT: Connections is situated at B.L.O. Ateliers, a workspace independently run and located at a former railyard in Berlin-Lichtenberg, open to international cultural producers. Around 70 people work here among which are visual artists, musicians, photographers, blacksmiths and special effects technicians. The cultural association Lockkunst e.V. organizes non-profit projects with various cultural and communal partners.