To the Barricades! Protest Architecture Between Spatial Configuration and Object Design

Lisa Beißwanger in Kooperation mit Oliver Elser, Anna-Maria Mayerhofer und Leonie Lube

Barricades, tent cities and tree houses are just a few examples of protest architecture. Often temporary and improvised, they take on different functions: They protect, block, occupy, make visible… How can we grasp the tension between design and (dis) (de-)construction? How is protest configured in space? Is there an aesthetics of protest and if so, what constitutes it? The seminar approaches such questions from the perspective of historical-critical architectural theory. Under the guiding categories of “objects,” “bodies,” and “spaces,” we examine selected protest movements from around 1845 onward for their spatial elements and, on this basis, develop contributions to a “dictionary of protest objects”. On the basis of independent, intensive research, the participants will create a scientific contribution on a selected topic, which will be presented in the form of a poster.

The seminar is a cooperation in the context of the CCSA with Oliver Elser and Anna-Maria Mayerhofer, Deutsches Architekturmuseum, who are currently preparing an exhibition on the topic. The participants’ drawing work will be supervised by Anna-Maria Mayerhofer and Leonie Lube as tutor. We will also cooperate with an external seminar, led by Ursula Kirschner (Professor of Architecture and Digital Culture, Leuphana) and Nayara Benatti (Universidade de São Paulo), which will take place in parallel at Leuphana University Lüneburg. At the end of the seminar, a joint final presentation with the guests from Lüneburg is planned.

Seminar: Lisa Beißwanger (CCSA/Technische Universität Darmstadt) in Kooperation mit Oliver Elser (CCSA/Deutsches Architekturmuseum), Anna-Maria Mayerhofer (Deutsches Architekturmuseum) und Leonie Lube (CCSA/Technische Universität Darmstadt)