State Alpha: On the Architecture of Sleep

State Alpha
On the Architecture of Sleep

Exhibition about the actuality of architecture´s archaic function of shelter

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Ausstellungsansicht

For:

NAi Maastricht

Date:

29th June - 5th October 2008

Location:

NAi Maastricht

Links:

bureau europa

Concept:

Liquid Frontiers with Guus Beumer

Exhibition design:

Herman Verkerk (Amsterdam), EventArchitectuur

Graphic design:

Experimental Jetset (Amsterdam)

With artistic support from:

Barbara Caveng, Bernhard Cella, Tomas Eller, Peter Sandbichler, Astrid Seme, Roman Signer, Anna Jermolaewa

With scientific contributions from:

Cornelia Sauter (sleep researcher, Charié Berlin)

With contributions in the forms of interviews from:

August Ruhs (psychoanalyst, Vienna) and Walter Seitter (philosopher, Vienna)

Compilation of film clips:

Erik de Kuypers (Amsterdam)

Photos:

Guus van den Akker, Johannes Schwartz, Moniek Wegdam

For Sigmund Freud, the dream is the “guardian of sleep”. Inspired by an observation by the philosopher Peter Sloterdijk, this exhibition investigates the extent to which we can use Freud’s starting point to discern a fundamental social dimension in the elementary protective function of architecture. Despite the best efforts of researchers, sleep retains an air of intangibility, whereas architecture is very much a positive – that is to say concrete - phenomenon. Architecture’s presence facilitates the sleeper’s absence and guarantees continuity during precisely those phases which, in reality, are marked by discontinuity.
Named after the medical term for the limiting condition between being awake and being asleep, the exhibition combines the results of research, artistic interpretations and architectural concepts into a panorama in six chapters more driven by directness and polemic than culturally historic correctness.correctness.