Friendly Passage

Utopic habitations versus surveillance strategies
Translokations versus stagnancy
Expeditions versus political control

A location-dependent group exhibition with installations of contemporary art and architecture in the former Palais Dürckheim in Weimar.

Setting: the history of the Palais Dürckheim started with its design of Henry van de Velde around 100 years ago. It continued with various changes of inhabitants and users during the last decades. From family Duerckheim to nationalistic waterworks – from the russian occupying force to GDR Stasi / the secret police the villa was used as weimar headquarters on very much differing intentions until the wall came down.

The measures of the chimney in the villa salon were transferred to the garden. Behind this object in the garden was attached an accuratly molded pit of 2 m lenghth going downwards 1,20 m via three stairs. The lowest position inside the pit resulted in the eye level of the spectator – being in line with the fire outside and the fire inside that was staged itself on the brick base by the descending into the pit.