Art and Architecture in Dialogue. With the "kunstundwohnen" project series, MIWO is opening up residential complexes built in the 1950s and 1960s, which feature typical design elements of the period's architecture, to artistic interventions that reinterpret these architectural structures characteristic of the post-war period and "modernize" them with a contemporary perspective. Since the first project, "Bild mit Wohnung" (Image with Apartment), with artist Detlef Beer in 2006, an artist has been invited each year to artistically engage with this MIWO portfolio and reflect on the residential building as a place of daily existence. The projects realized to date are characterized by an artistic diversity that reflects the range of contemporary art production and discourse: from performative approaches (Detlef Beer, "Bild mit Wohnung," 2006) to minimalist outdoor interventions (Martin Noel, "Farbe bekennen," 2008; Tim Trantenroth, "Raumstein," 2010) and temporary film projections that briefly introduce a striking visual shift in perception into the architectural situation (Claudia Desgranges, "Überblendung," 2009) to participatory art strategies. In 2011, for example, Martin Pfeifle installed a sculpture consisting of a total of 64 Neopolenschaum cubes in the landscaped outdoor area of the Lutfridstraße residential quarter. These cubes are also used by residents as seating and play areas, and their configuration can be continually changed. In this way, the sculpture became a communication medium within the social context of the residential complex (Martin Pfeifle, "RADO," 2011). Site-specific and locally created artistic interventions often refer to architectural elements such as passageways or stairwells that are no longer present in the everyday attention of residents. Strategies such as the color-marking of incidental elements (Friedhelm Falke, "Das guten Bild," 2007; Martin Noel, "Farbe bekennen," 2008) or all-over painting in the stairwell (Karim Noureldin, "Tupelo," 2012; Esther Stocker, "GEOMETRIA," 2013; Maik and Dirk Löbbert, "Treppenhaus," 2014; Jan van der Ploeg, "Wall Painting No. 412," 2015, etc.) not only make overlooked elements visible again, but also create a significance for the place. Only art enables the identification of places and adds a new layer of meaning to the architecture. This "art in architecture" at MIWO therefore also presents a challenge for the artists. While, on the one hand, there is initially a certain limitation due to the existing architectural structure of the MIWO residential buildings, on the other hand, it opens up a welcome experimental space. The artists are often confronted with the situation of having to deviate from their own, practiced aesthetic processes and techniques. This begins with the selection of different materials or surfaces on which the work is to be applied, and dimensions that differ from studio practice. "Art in architecture" means entering a frameless space in which art must first locate itself as art. Added to this is the crucial fact that the artwork encounters an audience – the residents – for whom "art in architecture" will become a part of their daily environment in the future. All "kunstundwohnen" projects are accompanied by an educational program in the form of openings, art history lectures, and catalogs. The positive response from tenants has confirmed the goal of the initiative: to actively promote contemporary art while simultaneously strengthening the community aspect. Text: Dr. Jutta Voorhoeve All kunstundwohnen projects: kunstundwohnen #1 2006 Detlef Beer “Picture with Apartment” kunstundwohnen #2 2007 Friedhelm Falke “The Familiar Image” kunstundwohnen #3 2008 Martin Noël “Confess Colours” kunstundwohnen #4 2009 Claudia Desgranges “Crossfade” kunstundwohnen #5 2010 Tim Trantenroth “Raumstein” kunstundwohnen #6 2011 Martin Pfeifle “RADO” kunstundwohnen #7 2012 Karim Noureldin “Tupelo” kunstundwohnen #8 2013 Esther Stocker “GEOMETRIA” kunstundwohnen #9 2014 Maik and Dirk Löbbert “Staircase” kunstundwohnen #10 2015 Jan van der Ploeg, “Wall Painting 412” kunstundwohnen #11 2017 Thomas Vinson “Magdalena K.” kunstundwohnen #12 2018 Martin Pfeifle “Onda” kunstundwohnen #13 2019 Schirin Kretschmann “Fifties” kunstundwohnen #14 2020 Birte Bosse “Ludfrid invited us to peace” kunstundwohnen #15 2021 Roman Lang “ELEVATORESK” kunstundwohnen #16 2022 Lorenzo Pompa “Ups and Downs in daily life” kunstundwohnen #17 2023 Pia Stadtbäumer “Cat's out”