In what is also known as 'the Inflatable Era', inflatable architecture was manufactured as a prerequisite for a new, nomadic way of life. Space travel served as the inspiration for these capsules. However, are these high-tech hide-outs post-human or not?
This text by Bart Lootsma was originally published in the accompanying catalog of the exhibition. You can find the full catalog here. Walter Pichler’s prototypes of furniture and appliances are perfectly executed and functional. By emphasizing certain effects of the use of everyday objects, these prototypes show their cold and disorientating impact.
For example, how watching television or listening to the radio disconnects you from your immediate environment. According to Pichler, modern media and appliances do not connect people, but rather decrease the connection, both socially and physically. Devices take over the role of your fellow human beings.
Although there are three beds in Pichler’s dormitory, direct contact is impossible if you were to lie down in one of them. Each bed has its own built-in radio or dildo. In another work a telephone is given its own altar with tabernacle. This way Pichler shows that everyday objects such as furniture and appliances reduce our actions to an empty cult.
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Visiting the exhibition, you will receive the accompanying catalog. It documents both the technical information of all exhibited works, as well as substantive texts to contextualize important makers and themes. You can find the...