City of the future, seen through the mountain farmer’s gaze

“I was hesitating for a long time, but eventually – with my mountain farmer’s background – I accepted the scholarship of Kunsthalle Exnergasse (KEX) at invitation of Social Design Studio/ University of Applied Arts Vienna. The scholarship for “innovative artistic practice” foresees a research residency at KEX’s temporary extension at Haschahof aka Zukunftshof.

The 120 year-old traditional farm house structure of Haschahof, located in the south of Vienna, was vacant for several years. It is surrounded by over 120 hectares of fertile farmland dedicated to a future urban development area for about 20,000 people. In the course of my residency, the fundamental question of a deeper understanding of people’s relationship to their environment was at the forefront. This question has always been central to human existence, and with the increasing destruction of our environment it has become existential. In doing so, I followed the trail of water, as THE origin of all life. The perception and recognition of this connection are important prerequisites of our partaking in and our dependence on it. Water fed my stream-of-consciousness and led me to questions that need to be answered before one can even start thinking about the actual design of future urban spaces in a responsible way.”

Time

Summer Semester 2021

Location

Zukunftshof

Vienna

Team

Zdravko Haderlap