Architecture is often used or interpreted as an expression of political self-representation. The unique representational buildings, which symbolically reflect power but also the everyday public building projects, are neither unpolitical in terms of their development process nor unpolitical in their effect as part of the built environment. My specific interest in this theme lies in the influence of political and philosophical concepts upon the development conditions and decision-making processes in architecture.
„Power Construction Site“ is a video as building clip, in which the tension field between construction site work and architecture-reinforced power politics are contrasted through image and text quotes.
Graz as the European Cultural Capital 2003 and St. Petersburg with it’s Month of European Culture are the docking points and stagesets for this video. In both cases, it is for large-scale European cultural events which numerous building projects and construction sites are developing.
Installation: Video (9 min), Brochures, Construction Site Fences, Posters, 2003/2004
Materials and Methodology in „Power Construction Site“:
Video Imagery and Original Sound from Graz, European Cultural Capital 2003 and St. Petersburg Month of European Culture 2003.
Text quotes of Architecture/Power/Politics/Building Culture from chronicles like historical literature and daily press: see Video Quotes (Quote-Catering by Dieter H. Plankl)
Video Imagery, Original Sound and Text Quotes are mounted to the video/building clip „Power Construction Site“
Shown at:
temporary construction sites, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Semperdepot, Vienna;
Piterart, Festival for New Technologies; Ohta Exhibition Hall, St. Petersburg (Russia);
Exhibition of the Grant Prize for Contemporary Fine Arts Styria;
Neue Galerie Graz, 2004, Curator: Dirk Snauwaert [awarded]
| When wrecking balls whisper about the future. | about Frankfurt’s Skyscrapers, FAZ |
| The high-rise from the early years and their long fall. | about Frankfurt’s Skyscrapers, FAZ |
| No great politics without great architecture. | Jack Lang |
| The lust for the Pharonic. | about Francois Mitterand, FAZ |
| The lie of the facade. | about Berlin’s City Palace, Süddeutsche Zeitung |
| The dramaturgy makes the city fit for competition. | about Bilbao etc., FAZ |
| Who actually wants to exhibit in these Art Palaces, perhaps the mayor? | Rosemarie Trockel via Udo Kier, TAZ |
| Too many cornerstones and groundbreaking. | about Silvio Berlusconi, Der Standard |
| … celebrated with brassband, fireworks and speeches. | Rem Koolhaas |
| Despite the building stops, the resistance lives. | about Wackersdorf, Die Zeit |
| Building as democratic process. | about „baustelle land“ Ute Woltron/Der Standard |
| I agree with the content of the case fully, but i can’t open up another field of critique for political, media and opponents. | about the fire in the Hofburg, Erhard Busek; Die Presse |
| Kak schijwje! Kak schijwje! (How lively! How lively!) | Josef Stalin |
| How the boards fit. | Alexander Kluge |
| Cubic bodies in a park. | about Mies van der Rohe, NZZ |
| A boil on the face of a loved and elegant friend. | Prince Charles, Süddeutsche Zeitung |