Culture:City

The future of our cities is one of the major issues of modern times. In addition to natural and social resources, it is clear that culture and creativity play an increasingly important role for innovative urban development. The exhibition “Culture:City” critically examined the current situation with a view to national and international projects – from spectacular art and construction projects to models which creatively re-appropriate vacant buildings and abandoned urban areas. The featured projects included proposals by Ai Weiwei, Herzog & de Meuron, David Chipperfield, Steven Holl and Raumlabor Berlin. The selection of works was also a striking portrayal of how cultural institutions at the beginning of the 21st century function. Besides being cultural providers and producers, how important are museums, theatres and libraries to urban space today? The exhibition incorporated two levels of presentation. In the first, the projects were presented as models and sketches, and in the second, the viewers could individually access film documentaries about the objects via portable tablet computers. The films were produced by students of the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin (DFFB) and members of the Junge Akademie. German and English-language lectures and discussion events on culture and the city served to broaden the scope of the exhibition theme.

Artistic directors: Matthias Sauerbruch, Wilfried Wang
Artists: Foster and Partners (GB), Patrick Bouchain (F), Loic Julienne (F), Michael Maltzan (US), James A. Reeves (US), Peter Cook (GB), Kate Daughdrill (US), Herzog & de Meuron (CH), Florentijn Hofman (NL), Jürgen Mayer H, Nieto Sobejano (E), Raumlabor Berlin, Gerhard Spangberg, Koeberling, Kaltwasser, Berlin, 26’10 South Architects (ZA) and others

Berlin, Academy of the Arts, Hanseatenweg 10, 15 Mar. – 26 May 2013
Graz, Kunsthaus, 28 Jun. – 13 Oct. 2013