In The City is Creative — by Michelle Teran — everyday performative acts, as depicted on YouTube videos, are located and reenacted in the city where they took place.

People meet in different ways now, even in the most strangest manner. Imagine flying over a city and witnessing all the things that are taking place there. Connect to Google Earth and find Eindhoven, a small city in The Netherlands. As you get closer, a number of YouTube videos appear on top of the city. As you bring up each video you start to experience what is taking place there. Did you know about the man that juggles? That there is a flying saucer in a park? That a young couple are moving into their new apartment? About the people who like to dance tango? Somebody who is an aspiring singer? Every one of these people are broadcasting their experiences. What would it be like if somebody tried to contact them back?

As an outsider to the city of Eindhoven, I found myself in a surprising situation of gaining access to three enormous and abandoned factory buildings, called De Hoge Rug, located within the Strijp-S area and former headquarters of the Philips company. After spending some time exploring on my own and sometimes frightening myself by getting lost in the bowels of the buildings, I decided that I wanted to take some people in with me so they could also have this experience. I found some people in Eindhoven via YouTube who displayed a tendency for exploration, exhibitionism, absurdity and adventure and asked if they would like to visit a place is the city that is hidden and inaccessible. I asked them if they wanted to make a new video based on a video they had already made, using the empty offices, hallways, and factory spaces as their playground and inspiration. I was pleasantly surprised that many responded.

The City is Creative explores the daily performances and actions that occur throughout Eindhoven that are often overlooked. Actions taking place within Eindhoven are introduced into the emptiness of the factory buildings which are used as a playground for their imagination. In addition to the videos produced, a series of documents from conversations and interviews brings together biographical information, observations and comments by each participant.

The City is Creative is co-production between Flux-S and Baltan Laboratories where Michelle Teran is artist-in-residence developing this project. A final presentation of the The City is Creative will be presented at Flux-S, a dynamic, cross-disciplinary, annual art event during the transitional period from Strijp-S — the forbidden city to Strijp S — the creative city.