Habitat // Festival of Spatial Imagination
Antwerp// Belgium

The festival of spatial imagination had full reign in the Luchtbal district in June. For a month the location-specific project HABITAT took placet in the neighbourhood, consisting of exhibitions, readings, guided tours, local dishes.
National and international artists have occupied eight apartments in an empty apartment block on Manchesterlaan, using the vacant spaces to create their own interpretation of the concept of ‘living’. The eight artists were the last inhabitants of the building before the entire district will be subjected to comprehensive renovations. The HABITAT project was an initiative of Middelheimproductie, the Luchtbal cultural centre and the urban regeneration team Programma’s voor Stad in Verandering and has been headed by guest curator Bruno Herzeele.
The social housing on Manchesterlaan, in the little-known yet highly socially and architecturally varied area of Luchtbal in Antwerp, is soon to make way for brand new social housing. It is an important step that will breathe new life into the district and regenerate the quality of life of the area. Under the supervisory eye of curator Bruno Herzeele, Middelheimproductie, the Luchtbal cultural centre and the urban regeneration team Programma’s voor Stad in Verandering have turned this comprehensive regeneration into a gigantic neighbourhood party - HABITAT. The eight artists that haveconverted the empty building into their own playground are:
complizen Planungsbüro (D), Anthony Kleinepier & TTTVo (NL), Mattonoffice (D/NL), Office for Subversive Architecture (UK/D)
Hanneke Paauwe (B/NL), Bart Prinsen (B), Unfold (B), Rob Voerman (NL)

Family Azbiri moved

Family Azbiri moved

The work " 01.04.2010 - Family Azbiri moved" refers to the departure of the last tenant. When we visited the block of flats Famiy Azbiri was in the process of moving out forever.
The work showed the flat in an intermediate condition where most of the belongings have been moved already. However a few personal things of the family still remained in the different rooms.
The visitor’s visual exploration of these rooms only worked by navigating a remote controlled car with an installed camera. This camera transferred images to a screen which has been recessed into a closed entrance door.
What is left are only the images; images which are symbolising the memories of Family Azbiri.
The physical masking of the flat has been also expressed by the continuation of the concrete façade elements which covered the window openings of this particular flat.
Additionally a television, showing the same images, has been located in the adjacent artist’s café being part of an exhibition which showed historical pictures of the area and the residential blocks. Our images seamlessly fit into these showing the original condition of the flat.

 

Stream of the remote controlled car with camera
Interface at the closed door of the flat: The Remote control and a monitor showing the live stream of the car cam.
Exploration of an abandoned flat, using a remote controlled car with camera
The live stream of the car-cam has been shown in parallel at the closed door and as part of the exhibition in the artists café.
The windows of the flat have been blocked out, using identically looking cladding sheets.

Family Azbiri moved

Die Arbeit "01.04.2010 - Family Azbiri moved" bezieht sich auf den Auszug des letzten Mieters, der bei unserer ersten Besichtigung des Wohnblocks im Begriff war, seinen Lebensraum für immer zu verlassen.

Sie zeigt die Wohnung in einem Zwischenzustand zwischen Auszug und noch wenigen, persönlichen Sachen der Familie, die in den Räumen verblieben sind. Diese für den Besucher visuelle Erfahrung funktioniert allerdings nur über ein ferngesteuertes Auto mit installierter Kamera, die das Bild auf einen in der Wohnungstür eingelassenen Bildschirm überträgt. Das heißt die Wohnung bleibt von nun an verschlossen und wird nur noch als 2D-Bild existieren - so wie für die Familie Azbiri nur noch Erinnerungen und Fotos bleiben. Symbolisiert wird das Ausblenden der Wohnung zusätzlich über die fortgesetzten Fassadenelemente auf der Straßenseite (Wohnung im 2. Stock).
Zusätzlich gibt es einen Fernseher (der auch das Kamerabild zeigt) in Zusammenhang mit der Hängung von historischen Bildern der Gegend und des Wohnkomplexes im Ausstellungscafe im EG - unsere Wohnung ist die einzige der acht bearbeiteten, die noch den ursprünglichen Zustand zeigt.

Baunetzwoche 178