An unusual state exhibition will open at the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein on 5 July 2012. As part of the project realized by the Institute of Architecture and Planning at the University of Liechtenstein, students have developed seating facilities for Liechtenstein.
An unusual state exhibition will open at the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein on 5 July 2012. As part of the project realized by the Institute of Architecture and Planning at the University of Liechtenstein, students have developed seating facilities for Liechtenstein.
They can be found everywhere, but usually go unnoticed: public seating facilities such as benches are an (architectural) expression of social exchange in the public space. A the same time, they tell stories. Their positioning opens up perspectives, the users leave their traces. International students from the Institute of Architecture and Planning at the University of Liechtenstein, with the assistance of local “mentors”, designed unique public seating facilities for each of the 11 municipalities, before going on to devise an unusual national exhibition for the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein based on their work. The projects were realized with the generous support of the 11 municipalities, as well as the Bürgergenossenschaft Triesen and the TAK Theater Liechtenstein. The following individuals kindly provided assistance as mentors of the international students: Helmut Bühler, Cornelia Eberle, Melanie Frick, Franz Gassner, Rudolf Goop, Daniel Gstöhl, Monika Kindle, Karin Rüdisser-Quaderer, Richard Schmuck, Markus Verling and Friedrich Von Bültzingslöwen.
Valuable input for public space
Under the leadership of Professor Peter Staub, the students from the Master’s degree programme spent a semester working on the subject of seating facilities in public space. An analysis of existing benches in Liechtenstein revealed that their potential is by no means fulfilled, with many of them not being used at all. The reasons for this are diverse, ranging from the choice of location and view, through comfort and design to materials and changes over time. The design and positioning of the newly created benches aim to inspire users to participate more in public life, while at the same time attempting to form an expression of a community’s local identity.
Temporary “Salon Liechtenstein”
The students’ projects, together with photographs of the benches taken by the Liechtenstein photographer Eddy Risch, will be on show at the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein for six weeks from 6 July to 19 August 2012. This unusual state exhibition will display not only the seating facilities but also attractive publications that tell the story of each location and inspire visitors to take their time to appreciate the “Salon Liechtenstein”. The exhibition’s vernissage will be held at the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein in Vaduz on Thursday, 5 July 2012, from 6 p.m. Entry is free.
“Salon Liechtenstein” state exhibition
Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Vaduz
Vernissage: Thursday, 5 July 2012, 6 p.m.
Exhibition: 6 July to 19 August 2012
Further information: www.uni.li/architektur or www.kunstmuseum.li