Architektur und Politik

 
Nikolaus Kuhnert in conversation

 

16 May 13

 

 

The project documents the life of Nikolaus Kuhnert, who has been one of ARCH+ magazine's editors for over 40 years, and has been a main, formative figure in evolving architectural discourse.

Through personal conversations on subjects ranging from small to wide, characters and anecdotes are condensed into intellectual discussions about the collective history of a generation. After the trauma of Nazi dictatorship, his generation longed to find their own verbal expression within the political student movement. Berlin appears frequently in his stories, as a place where his personal life has been intermingled with the historic events he has lived through. Which relation between architecture and politics emerges from his biography? What can we learn from it about contemporary architectural and urban discourse? In the context of KW's exhibition Relaunch, ARCH+ will show a selection of previous notes for the very first time, followed by an open discussion with Nikolaus Kuhnert and the guests.

An Oral History Project by Stephan Becker, Kristina Herresthal and Anh-Linh Ngo, ARCH+

The event constitutes the preface to ARCH+ and KW Institute for Contemporary Art's collaboration. Beginning in summer 2013, ARCH+ will have a growing presence in KW's spaces, with special events under the "ARCH+ features" series, as well as workshops with high schools and other institutions, contributing to KW's ongoing program content. KW and ARCH+'s interests overlap in their common significance to local critical architecture and urban discourse, as well as the significance both their programs place in producing physical and conceptual space for contemporary culture.