Bøger af Michael Obrist

Since antiquity, Italy has been the origin of key themes of Western architecture and culture, many of which have evolved in exemplary and universally valid ways. Many of these continue to provide an inspiring frame of reference even today. Emulating the tradition and itinerary of the classic Grand Tour followed by European aristocrats, this comprehensive and visually appealing book takes a nuanced look at Italy today. Using the aspect of housing as a hub, it offers new narratives and positions on current issues and developments that are also highly relevant outside Italy. In the format of a graphic and textual atlas, the volume explores Italy at various scales. Zooming in and out of themes, cities, and regions, it allows for associative and nonlinear comprehension and reflection. Housing is examined as a complex construct, acted upon by diverging interests and needs as well as historical legacies. The spatial aspect of living, with its huge impact on the limited resources of land and the landscape, is the starting point for the proposals and strategies the book offers. Its audience reaches beyond the professional architecture community, aiming at anyone with an interest in the much-debated topic of (affordable) housing or in 21st-century Italy.

The 5th volume in the series about KÖR Kunst im öffentlichen Raum (Public Art Vienna) shows the projects that were implemented and initiated by Public Art Vienna between 2017 and 2019. The priorities set by the Public Art jury are diverse and are reflected in the chapters of the book-for example in "Public Art and Urban Development", which illuminates projects in urban development areas of Vienna, their history and residents. "Public Art as Urban and Architectural Experiments" shows projects that created leeway and free space in the city and gave places other uses for a short period of time. In "Public Art and Public Housing" and "Public Art and Young People" there can be found two focal points by the jury that specifically address the residents of the city. The Kunstplatz am Graben, used annually by Public Art, and the newly designed Kunstplatz am Reumannplatz also find their way into this volume and show projects in those prominent places that shape the cityscape every summer. In addition to some performance projects that made the urban space a new experience, traditional topics such as Public Art's engagement with public transport and commemoration accompanied the Public Art jury intensively during their creative period, which enabled many projects to be implemented under these conditions that sustainably upgrade the public space.