Hacking Urban Furniture: ZK/U – Center for Art and Urbanistics is hosting a unique exhibition exploring urban furniture in an experimental way.

Hacking Urban Furniture

16 to 25 March, open daily from 12am to 8pm
Opening: 15 March 2018, 7pm

Bus stops, city toilets, benches, trash cans, infoboards – Urban furniture and outdoor advertising has determined metropolitan public space for over 30 years. The exhibition 'Hacking Urban Furniture' examines previous interpretations of this relationship, offering new perspectives. The exhibition is part of the long term, eponymous researching project ‘Hacking Urban Furniture’ (HUF) which explores the history, past and future, of urban furniture. HUF is a collaboration between artists, urban explorers, administrators, politicians, activists and researchers exploring the potential of spatial public service design in the city and will present their research in the form of art works, performances, workshops and talks.

Participating artists and artist groups are: Markus Ambach, Christian Hasucha, Umschichten, Raumlabor and KUNSTrePUBLIK. Projects have been realised in cooperation with AbBA (Alliance of Threatened Berlin Studio Houses), Refunc, OpenBerlin and Wildau Techincal College.

The following winners and participating artists and artist collectives of the idea contest for new urban furniture concepts will also participate in exhibiting work: Fiete Rhode & Team, KIEZding; Benoit Maubrey, Arena: a Speakers Sculpture; Andreas Templin, Berlin Dough; Extrapolation Factory, Transition Habitats; Josef- Matthias Printschler, WTHUF; Adam Page and Eva Hertzsch, V.I.P. Box.

Adam Page and Eva Hertzsch will show their work in the park surrounding ZK/U, which will fucntion as a long term installation until the end of October 2018. ‚V.I.P. Box’ was part of the documenta X, Kassel, 1997. The ‚V.I.P.-Box’ will be shown to the public as ‚Case Study’, within the framework of the ‚Shared Cities: Creative Momentum (SCCM)’ programme. SCCM aims to improve quality of life in European cities.

Two guests will also present their work: Initiative ‚Berlin Werbefrei’ discusses advertisment free cities, such as Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Grenoble (France); Markus Binder from the UdK Berlin will also present his project Safe&Urban. Both will present their works and concepts through performance lectures, film screenings and documentation. In addition, Fred Dewey will deliver the report 'Portable Polis', concerning a Hannah Arendt working group which toured last summer and addressed issues concerning the general public.

The participants of the accompanying researching group are Laura Sobral, Benjamin Cope, Mary Dellenbaugh-Losse, Surfatial, Jan Bovelet, Joanne Pouzenc, Mobasher Niqui, Alireza Labeshka and Ali Reza Hemmat Boland and will also exhibit the findings of their research.

An extensive accompanying programme, including guided tours, workshops and talks, aims to provide a more in depth view on the material on display.

Weblinks:
www.zku-berlin.org/timeline/ausstellung-hacking-urban-furniture/
http://www.hackingurbanfurniture.net/

Please find further information about the ZK/U, as well as biographies of participating artists, artist groups, researchers and guests in the downloadable Version of this press release (Word/PDF) below.