The social housing on Manchesterlaan, in the little-known yet highly socially and architecturally varied area of Luchtbal in Antwerp, is soon to make way for brand new social housing. This major intervention is part of the Master Plan of the City of Antwerp. Above all, however, it marks the physical end of a past of so many people who have lived there. Middelheim Producties, the Luchtbal cultural centre and Programma’s voor Stad in Verandering want to turn this comprehensive renewal of an area into a huge neighbourhood festival called HABITAT.
The artists
Manchesterlaan Number 31/33 will become the new habitat and playground of eight national and international artists/artist’s collectives) who will work/live/build in eight apartments and turn each space into a unique habitat. This varied group of artists will have one month (the month of May) to complete this ambitious project:
- complizen Planungsbüro (D)
- Anthony Kleinepier & TTTVo (NL)
- Mattonoffice (D/NL)
- Office for Subversive Architecture (UK/D)
- Hanneke Paauwe (B/NL)
- Bart Prinsen (B)
- Unfold (B)
- Rob Voerman (NL)
HABITAT is a location-specific project. It requires the artists to make the space itself the focus of their imagination but also presents them with the extraordinary challenge of transforming an intimate and private apartment into a public gallery. The participating artists were carefully selected by guest curator Bruno Herzele. Each of them will go in search of the right installation in the right place.
Location
Habitat building (Manchesterlaan 31-33, 2030 Antwerp)
The festival for spatial imagination
From 6 June through to 4 July 2010, the public will have the opportunity to view both the apartment block and the creations it will house. Aside from the artists’ creations in the apartments, there will also be a wide variety of activities that give visitors the opportunity to experience HABITAT.
Wheelchair-users will experience problems visiting the Habitat building, but they are naturally welcome to visit the ground floor exhibits.
Read more about the HABITAT preliminary project (from 16 April 2010 with an exhibition by guest curator Bruno Herzeele, a school project in Luchtbal and a mini HABITAT in the city).
Exhibition – Behind the scenes
Photographer Sven van Baarle will look at the broader perspective of the HABITAT works, giving visitors the unique opportunity to see what went on behind the scenes.
Walking trails
Walking trails have also been mapped exclusively for HABITAT through the Luchtbal neighbourhood. They look at the neighbourhood’s social history, its architecture and the exhibition itself.
- The books are available for free from the Luchtbal cultural centre and from “In de Luchtbel”, the exhibition bar and shop on the ground floor of the HABITAT building.
- The walks are not suited for wheelchair users.
The HABITAT project is organised by Middelheimproductie, cc Luchtbal and Programma’s voor Stad in Verandering. With the support of Villanella.