HASEEB AHMED
ATMO
Sep. 16–18, 2016

During Atmo visitors will see the face of the wind captured within a wind tunnel and attempts to communicate with it, hear about Flying Cities, and the origins of air conditioning and air as a commodity, and hear about Marx’s thoughts on commodity (re)production and steam. Prototypes of apparatuses for travelling without moving will be demonstrated along with souvenirs of these travels.

September 16, 2016
On the first evening, we take flight and remain in the fluid. Four presentations will give us glimpses into what can be made of the air, a place not for human habitation. Artist Haseeb Ahmed, organizer of the event, with Piero Bisello will conjure the face of the wind in a wind tunnel and attempt to teach it to speak. Architecture lecturer Alla Vronksaya (ETH) will give a presentation about the Russian Constructivist Krutikov’s Flying City. Architect Wulf Böer (ETH) will share his open letter on the rise of air conditioning and its effects on architecture leading to air as a commodity, and Research Fellow and Lecturer Elena Lange (UZH) will speak to us about the often quoted Marx saying “all that is solid melts into air,” and what it really means for the process of commodification.

September 17, 2016, 5–8pm
Today we will land, but in many more places than one. Simulations, souvenirs from teleports, and the accouterments of such travelling without moving will be presented together with a collection of edible non-foods on September 17. Participants of the Simulations course in the Transdisciplinarity Department at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) developed these projects. The course is by taught by Haseeb Ahmed and Eirini Sourgiadaki just after its completion.

September 18, 2016, 2–5pm
Lastly, visitors to Counter Space may view a room that contains the residues, paper trails, and souvenirs of the travels taken during Atmo and beyond.

Installation and programme by Haseeb Ahmed
With the participation of Piero Bisello, Wulf Böer (ETH), Elena Lange (UZH), Eirini Sourgiadaki, Alla Vronksaya (ETH) amongst others