The Gift

Hello!

We are writing to share information about an exhibition that has relevance and resonates in places across the globe!

The Gift, a bold exhibition with curatorial connections to Germany and the USA, is on view at the Architekturmuseum der TUM (the Technical University of Munich) now through summer and closing on September 8th 2024.

Highlighting "stories of generosity and violence," The Gift is a the thoughtful, investigative exhibition questions the nature, commitments, and outcomes of architectural gift giving that is increasingly popular (and publicized) globally. As it goes, all that glitters is not gold — or is it?

Curators Łukasz Stanek, a Professor of Architectural History at Taubman College in Michigan, USA, and Damjan Kokalebski at TUM in Munich, DE wonder ask a series of questions with the communities and local researchers.

What are the motivations for the gift?
How can communities What are the benefits of an architectural gift and how may it cause harm?
What is the afterlife of a gifted building, and how is it perceived, maintained, and used by local communities?
How does the giving and receiving of architecture impact the production of these buildings, including their program, design, and materiality, as well as labor relations on the construction site?
Do architectural gifts require reciprocity and if so, what constitutes a counter-gift?

Beginning with the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative in Detroit’s North End neighborhood as a local example, the curators highlight humanitarian gifts in Skopje, North Macedonia; the gift of land in Kumasi, Ghana; diplomatic gifts for Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; and philanthropic gifts in East Palo Alto, California, USA.

For the philanthropic project, the curators highlight the making of youth-focused arts, music, and education buildings in “a disinvested community in California, USA that struggles to capitalize on the prosperous opportunities of Silicon Valley.”

See exhibition catalogue attached.

Contact us for the press kit w/ images or to schedule an interview w/ the curators Łukasz and Demean.

Thank you!