Martina Geiger‑Gerlach

Raumwunder
(Eine einvernehmliche Hausbesetzung mit Hilfe der Kunst)
Room Wonder
(An Consensual squatting through the medium of art)

Houses slated for demolition often stand empty for long periods between the departure of the last residents and the actual teardown, frequently due to delays in building regulations. Under current tenancy law, they cannot be rented out during this interim phase. However, as an art project, they can be inhabited, as this framework allows for individual agreements.
To make the potential of this artistic interim-use strategy tangible, the first RAUMWUNDER apartment "conquered through art" is used as temporary furnished living space and as an off-space exhibition venue. Upon the handover of the keys, a curated solo exhibition titled "4-Zimmer-Küche-Bad" (4-Room-Kitchen-Bath) is opened, accompanied by a public living room concert.
On these evenings, a diverse range of people come together for many different reasons: to move in temporarily, to see contemporary art, to listen to live music, to tour the apartment, to meet neighbors, or simply to find out what RAUMWUNDER is all about. In the process, one naturally gets to know the RAUMWUNDER residents—people who are actually looking for permanent housing. In this first instance of "consensual squatting," the residents are refugees from the neighboring collective accommodation who are unable to find a home of their own.
Following the opening night, the "4-Zimmer-Küche-Bad" exhibition becomes a private living space, accessible only to the guests of the RAUMWUNDER residents. With every change of interim occupants, the exhibition also changes, and a new public RAUMWUNDER evening is held.