POSSIBILITIES OF SPACE INTERPRETATION

The new format of the Villa Tugendhat exhibition projects offers a view of its unique space from unusual perspectives using approaches of contemporary art practice – performance, deep listening, authentic movement, lighting design, sonification, 3D possibilities or parametric architecture/generative design.

With his revolutionary design, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created a specific spatial situation: the so-called free-flowing space, very different from previous concepts of space in the history of architecture, in terms of visual or acoustic properties, lighting conditions, possibilities of movement and use, its rhythm or variability.

The space of Villa Tugendhat can be described by countless, even contradictory, adjectives: open – closed, finite – infinite, intimate – public, sacred, spiritual or meditative – very practically usable, monochromatic – bursting with colour, cool – warm, airy or light – anchored in the hillside, austere – exclusive, …

All discussions about its nature therefore end in the recognition of its contradictory, even elusive, nature and the interplay of contradictions on all levels. The individual contradictory concepts are unified into one coherent experience when perceiving this space.

Although the iconic free-flowing space has been described countless times by art historians and other theorists, it still harbours many interesting specifics that can be explored. The intent of the Possibilities of Interpretation exhibition projects is to begin to survey unexplored possibilities of insight, to find additional ways of showcasing its unusual, contradictory aspects, and to focus viewers’ attention on the space itself – which is often overwhelmed when visited by the objects, materials, stories, or connotations associated with the UNESCO monument as an institution.

Another aim of the series of interpretations is also to highlight the wide range of non-invasive, contemporary projects that can be implemented in Villa Tugendhat despite the special protection of the UNESCO monument. It offers an opportunity to engage in a dialogue with this modernist icon, to subject a space that was also an experiment at the time of its creation (1928–1930) to further experimental scrutiny, and to stimulate further creative thinking among theorists, artists, and the general public.

An integral part of any interpretation will be the exploration of the possibilities of presenting and exhibiting the architecture itself, while also bringing the practices of contemporary art and currently used technologies to the attention of the general public who visit the site. 

The results of these research and artistic projects will be presented to visitors in the form of exhibitions on the technical floor of Villa Tugendhat, online on the website and on the Possibilities of Interpretation Instagram profile.

The exhibition projects will also include workshops, performances and lectures for the public in the interior and exterior of the villa, which will allow people to experience the space of the villa in a different way than before and make its unusual aspects accessible to the viewer.

Neli Hejkalová, curator

Authors of the concept and production of exhibitions
Barbora Benčíková, Ludmila Haasová, Neli Hejkalová, Lucie Valdhansová (Villa Tugendhat Study and Documentation Centre)

Curator
Neli Hejkalová

Graphic design
Atelier Zidlicky

Project photographer
Mizuki Nakeshu

Translation
Kateřina Báňová – Marcela Schneiberková

The exhibition series was prepared by the Tugendhat Study and Documentation Centre and was realized with financial support from the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.