HOMELESSNESS, ARCHITECTURE AND THE CITY

The Architekturmuseum der TUM München is showing the exhibition “Who’s Next?”, which can be seen until February 6, 2022. The exhibition discusses the perception of homelessness and possible solutions from architecture and other disciplines.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated homelessness around the world. Even before the outbreak of the virus, people affected by homelessness were among the most vulnerable citizens in society. “Who’s Next?”, the current exhibition at the TU Munich Architecture Museum, poses important questions about the visibility and invisibility of people without a home. The show also sheds light on the ambivalent reactions between ignorance and rejection that other members of society show towards homeless people.

The fact that many more people are at risk of homelessness due to COVID-19 makes a change of perspective all the more necessary. The exhibition discusses perceptions of homelessness and possible solutions from architecture and other disciplines.

It is important that the exhibition does not present homelessness as an individual tragedy. Rather, it is seen as a challenge for society as a whole that requires systematic solutions. After analyzing global statistics and socio-political backgrounds, visitors are given a closer look at homelessness in cities such as Tokyo, Mumbai, New York and Los Angeles. The exhibition challenges the prevailing idea in many countries that poverty is the “fault” of the individual. This is because the pandemic and rising unemployment have noticeably changed this view. Countless people around the world now fear that they could be the next to lose their homes.

In addition, “Who’s Next?” shows historical and contemporary architectural projects that aim to reintegrate people who have been affected by homelessness into society. The exhibition explores how architects, in collaboration with other professionals, can provide permanent homes for people experiencing homelessness in cities around the world. The knowledge of politicians at national, regional and city level, non-governmental organizations, religious organizations, health institutes and scientists is also crucial to tackling the crisis.

In order to demonstrate the interplay between the various disciplines, the Architecture Museum of the Technical University of Munich (TU Munich) will therefore shed light on the historical and current development of homelessness. German cities as well as many international cities are interesting case studies to understand homelessness and its challenges through documentaries and other media.

Daniel Talesnik, a trained architect who works as a researcher at the TUM Architecture Museum, curated the exhibition. In his work, Talesnik deals with modern and contemporary architecture and urbanism. His focus is on architectural pedagogy and the relationship between architecture and political ideologies. He completed his doctorate at Columbia University on the Bauhaus movement in communist countries.

Talesnik also teaches at the Technical University of Munich. He was supported by Ella Neumaier, Ilyas Kerem Yilmaz, Ann-Kathrin Gügel, Theresa Thanner and Anna-Maria Mayerhofer. The graphic design for the exhibition was created by Kathryn Gillmore and the exhibition architecture was designed by Carmen Wolf. In addition, “Who’s Next?” was generously supported by many well-known sponsors. The Bavarian State Ministry for Family, Labor and Social Affairs, the German Foundation for Architecture and Culture, the BÜSCHL Group, the PIN. Freunde der Pinakothek der Moderne e.V. and the Bayerische Stiftung für Wohnungslosenhilfe are among the many sponsors of this exhibition.

To explore the exhibition in more depth, students and lecturers from the Chair of Curatorial Practice have organized a series of events entitled “Let’s talk! We need to talk about homelessness” in Munich. A mix of different formats invites visitors to enter into a dialog about the intersection between homelessness and urban design, about the way they talk about homelessness and about visions for the future. An overarching question is how Munich, as a city affected by housing shortages, can meet its challenges. Questions such as “What responsibility does the city have in providing housing?”, “What role can and should architecture play?” and “How can we make homelessness more visible in society?” invite discussion. The “Who’s Next?” exhibition at the Munich Architecture Museum runs until February 6, 2022.

You can find more information about the exhibition here.

A series of talks accompanies the exhibition. Find out more here.

Two further recommendations in Munich: the Volkstheater by Lederer Ragnarsdottir Oei and the Schwere-Reiter-Halle by Mahlknecht Herrle.