Brutalistic Airbnb

CONTEXT: Brutalistic Airbnb used the online platform airbnb to rent out public space of the brutalist campus of the Ruhr University, Bochum. Instead of renting a room, guests could choose their favorite place on the campus-site. Every guest received a specific “Survival Kit“ (overnight stay set) for appropriating the selected spot. Each “Survival Kit” consisted of seven objects and each of them was dedicated to a certain topic.

The different Survival Kits were composed by different private or political people. Inspired by Brutalism, they were always dedicated to an “ism“ and addressed different themes. It parodied the commercialized platform economy (such as airbnb) and raised the question of how we should deal with vacancies and public space.
The project was initiated as part of the MFA Public Art and New Artistic Strategies of the Bauhaus University Weimar under the title “CHE BELLA BRUTA“.

Press:

Bochum Alternative. Brutalistic Airbnb.

BSZOnline. Experimentelle Übernachtungen an der RUB.

URBANSHIT. Airbnb Hijack Campus der Ruhr Universität als Unterkunft ageboten.

Photos: © Jakob Wirth © Alexander Schneider