Parasite Kitchen

Collective Intervention, 2024, Skulpturenplatz Mannheim. Collaboration with Hochschule Mannheim (Moritz Klenk) and Kunsthalle Mannheim. 

CONTEXT: Public spaces for open, undedicated encounters are increasingly rare, leading to social isolation and fragmented discourse. The Parasite Kitchen, a collaboration with Kunsthalle Mannheim and Hochschule Mannheim, took place in a neglected, but on the other side loved, public square in Mannheim. By assembling second-hand kitchen units donated by local residents, it transformed the square into a site of social and artistic exchange, bringing private practices into the public sphere to foster dialogue and collective engagement.

TEXT: At its core, the Parasite Kitchen embodies collective creativity and self-organization. It functions as a social and artistic interface that transforms public spaces into hubs for cultural exchange, discussion, and collaborative art-making. By bringing the traditionally private act of cooking and gathering into the public sphere, it fosters spontaneous encounters, shared meals, and critical dialogue. These interactions go beyond the act of cooking—they create opportunities for rethinking community, identity, and public space.

The design concept reflects this ethos of collectivity. Standardized kitchen units (Einbauküchen), originally symbols of individuality and privacy, have been reimagined as a shared installation that weaves together diverse stories and practices. Each unit, sourced from different households, carries the marks of its previous life. The Parasite Kitchen preserves these traces and incorporates them into a living social sculpture, highlighting the contrast between its functional, modular design and the fluid, collective nature of its social interactions.

“How do we live together?” was asked through actively challenging the commodification of public and social space and offering an accessible platform for artistic performances, collaborative meals, and solidarity-building, creating a space for artistic and social resistance rooted in the everyday.

Further Information: parasite-kitchen.net or Instagram

Collaboration: Prof. Dr. Moritz Klenk (Hochschule Mannheim) and Dr. Nina Rind (KIT Karlsruhe, Deutscher Werkbund Baden-Württemberg) and Marie Hoffmann, Johanna Kühle, as well as students of the Hochschule Mannheim – Support from Verein gegen Müdigkeit e.V. Heidelberg.

Fotos: Johanna Kühle, Marie Hoffmann, Jakob Wirth

Press:

DIE REINLANDPFALZ : Mehr als Maden und Heuschrecken: Versuchslabor der „Parasite Kitchen“ an Kunsthalle. 07/2024. GER

Mannheimer Morgen: Warum die Hochschule Mannheim vor der Kunsthalle eine Küche betreibt, 07/24, GER.