FPV ALWERAJE explores memory in a present marked by profound political and technological upheaval. Its starting point is Esch – a site of industrial history and resistance in the heart of Europe. An FPV drone traverses former steelworks and sites of collective memory. The rapid, social media-inspired visual language encounters historical narratives, creating a deliberate friction between pop culture and the politics of memory. A pivotal rupture occurs through an AI-generated song in which inscriptions from the Musée National de la Résistance et des Droits Humains—also located in Esch—are reinterpreted by the AI. Meaning shifts; language and sound are thrown into disarray. Between pathos and its subversion, between past and present, FPV ALWERAJE paints a picture of Europe in which memory is not static, but contested—and politically effective.
FPV ALWERAJE, 9min36, 2026
The film was made as part of The Esch Clinics, a project by Cultures of Assembly, curated by Markus Miessen & César Reyes Najéra. The associated residency program has been made possible thanks to the kind support of the City of Esch, Konschthal, and Bridderhaus.
Thanks to the Amicale Schëfflenger Kolonien and the team of Musée de la Sidérurgie “De Schmelzaarbechter”. For years they have been collecting tools, artefacts, and documents with the aim of preserving the memory and honouring the work of steelworkers.
And thanks to Franka Bechtle, Yves Biwer & Claire Faber (Agora s.à r.l. et Cie), Lilly, Markus Miessen, César Reyes Najéra, Mechthild Schmidt, Lorenz Thierse, and Anastasiya Yarovenko.
Music, vocals, and speech generated by AI.
© Fabian Bechtle and Leon Kahane / Forum Democratic Culture and Contemporary Art (Forum DCCA)
Berlin / Esch-sur-Alzette 2026
Download project draft FPV ALWERAJE
COA aims to facilitate productive dialogues between the urban past, present and future, as well as between the various publics and individuals who engage with and shape them. COA collaborates with a large group of internationally renowned experts, researchers and practitioners from a range of fields.
COA team: Markus Miessen, César Reyes Nájera, Marija Maric, Hannes Grasegger
At the invitation of COA, Fabian Bechtle and Leon Kahane are working on FPV ALWERAJE.