Martina Geiger‑Gerlach

Raumwunder
(Eine einvernehmliche Hausbesetzung mit Hilfe der Kunst)
Room Wonder
(An Consensual squatting through the medium of art)

Houses slated for demolition often stand empty for long periods between the departure of the last residents and the actual teardown due to building law delays. Under current tenancy laws, they cannot be rented out during this interim phase. However, as an art project, they can be inhabited, as this allows for individual agreements. To bring the potential of this artistic interim-use strategy to life, the first 'RAUMWUNDER' apartment—conquered through art and furnished with donated interiors—serves simultaneously as a living space and an off-space exhibition venue.

Thus, every time a new resident moves in, a curated solo exhibition by '4-Zimmer-Küche-Bad' opens, and the neighborhood is invited to a public living room concert. On these evenings, diverse groups of people gather at RAUMWUNDER for very different reasons: to move in temporarily, view contemporary art, listen to live music, tour the apartment, meet neighbors, or simply find out what RAUMWUNDER is all about. Along the way, visitors can meet the new residents, who are urgently seeking permanent housing. In this first consensual squatting project in Stuttgart, these residents are refugees from the neighboring collective accommodation center.

Following the opening, the '4-Zimmer-Küche-Bad' exhibition becomes a private residence and can only be visited by guests of the inhabitants. When the residents change, the exhibition changes as well, leading to the next public RAUMWUNDER evening.