The Art of Joining: Collaboration
The exhibition and workshop series titled Teamwork was realised by the organisation of the LEAP Collective and KÉK, originating from a project exploring the work of architect Konrad Wachsmann. Born in Frankfurt/Oder in 1901, Wachsmann was a dedicated supporter of the technological development in architecture until his death in Los Angeles in 1980. After the Second World War, Wachsmann's scientific and collaborative approach became pivotal in both his educational and design methods. He developed innovative models of team-based learning through Austrian summer universities, Japanese seminars, and American lectures, simultaneously designing new forms of collaboration and architecture.
Workshop Topics:
[1] Factory: How do we work together?
This workshop examines collective production methods, particularly through the sharp contrasts between capitalist factory work and communist work brigades, and juxtaposes their architectural impacts. Based on historical examples, we also address contemporary issues such as questions of ownership and copyright in joint work, both in the past and in the current global knowledge-sharing systems.
[2] Network: How do we organise?
In the workshop, we explore the network as a form of collaboration and working method. Starting from Konrad Wachsmann's concept of an interdisciplinary network, we ask: how were connections built in the past and now across geographical and disciplinary distances? How did the telephone, fax, and aeroplane historically shape networks? In an era when networking most commonly occurs online, what advantages can shared space and presence bring? We welcome contributions on personal experiences of networks or historical case studies.
[3] School: How do we learn together?
The aim of this workshop is to explore and experiment with collaborative learning methods. Beginning with Wachsmann's rigorously structured educational forms, we inquire whether a learning method exists that aligns with a collaboration-based design process. Sharing, reinterpreting, and reorganising information are crucial techniques in the production of our knowledge. Through historical examples and contemporary practices, we jointly examine the tools of today's global knowledge network.
Workshop contributions can relate to the practice of teamwork and collaboration within the fields of architecture and design, as well as contemporary debates and personal experiences. The format is freely chosen: we welcome presentations, case studies, methodological discussions, visual essays, film and audio materials. The outcomes of the workshops will be incorporated into the Teamwork exhibition, with recognition of joint authorship as agreed upon by contributors. We also warmly invite those interested to participate in the installation of the expanded version of the exhibition (12–13 December 2019). We have funding available to support travel and accommodation costs, primarily for early applicants.
The L.E.A.P. Collective first met in 2018 at the Bauhaus Dessau. Their inaugural exhibition, The Art of Collaboration: Designing the Universal Connector, was produced with the involvement of Bauhaus scholars and researchers, examining Konrad Wachsmann's experimental architecture at the intersection of education, technology, and politics. The members of the L.E.A.P. collective are experts from various fields – architecture, design, history, journalism, education, and curatorial work – which they coordinate to conduct critical research and place concepts in new contexts. The team collaborates across distances and time zones, with members living and working in Berlin (Eva-Maria Offermann), New York and Cambridge (Phillip Denny), Vienna (Lisi Zeininger), as well as Warsaw and Manchester (Adam Przywara).
The project is the winning entry of the 33.3 m2 curatorial competition organised by the Contemporary Architecture Centre. Sponsors: National Cultural Fund, Municipality of Újbuda, Goethe-Institut Budapest.
