Mila Kostović
In 19th century Europe, colonial expansion accelerated the urge to set out into the ‘new world’. Travel and narrations of distant lands established fairytale-like, seductive and simultaneously hierarchising racist and sexist fantasies, which materialized through spatial design. Palaces, pavilions and gardens as well as public buildings such as bathhouses and concert halls were built throughout Europe with references and apparent copies of Indian, Chinese, Egyptian and ultimately ‘oriental’ architecture. Ist romanticised trivialisation becomes questionable at the latest in ethnological and colonial exhibitions that remained common until the middle of the 20th century.
Exoticising architecture can also be found in Stuttgart. The historical part of the Wilhelma is in Moorish style, various bathhouses are intended to remind visitors of the distant Orient, and in 1926 a colonial exhibition with an ethnological show was also organised in the Stadtgarten. Although a series of exhibitions entitled Exotische Welten, Europäische Phantasien (Exotic Worlds, European Fantasies) was hosted by several museums in 1987, the exoticising heritage of Stuttgart and its ideological problems have often been overlooked or forgotten.
In the seminar, we will identify and contextualize exoticising architecture in Stuttgart, whether it still exists or has been destroyed, and consider its urban, historical, and ideological relevance. Based on a critical examination of the collected knowledge, an exhibition will be curated and organized. It will be on display at the Architekturgalerie am Weissenhof from March to April of 2026. In addition to conducting research, visiting archives, and selecting content, the project will include developing and designing the exhibition, as well as installing and dismantling it. Guiding questions can be: How can architecture (history) be exhibited? How can we adopt a reflective, contemporary, and critical attitude toward the exhibited content through spatial and performative design, and how can we communicate this perspective to visitors?
The overarching aim is twofold: first, to reevaluate exoticising architecture in Stuttgart in terms of architectural history, and second, to raise awareness of the issues involved. Additionally, the findings will be made publicly accessible in a gallery, emphasizing the topic's contemporary relevance. All participants will function as a curatorial team. Although different areas of responsibility will be assigned, constant dialogue, coordination, and consensus are integral to the success of the exhibition. The contents will also be developed in the group and can combine the selected archive material with architectural or performative elements and other critical analyses or practices, depending on the artistic and design focus of the students.
Anmeldung: Via Mail to mila.kostovic@abk-stuttgart.de