Mensch Maschine Summer School 2026: Oases
The Mensch Maschine 2026 Summer School, curated by Julian Schubert from architecture studio Something Fantastic, welcomes the artists in residence and invitees from the Mensch Maschine residency network to further explore their work through the topic of ‘Oases’.
Oases that confront and complement a world where forests are dwindling, soil is eroding, and desertification is encroaching. In a poor and homogeneous environment, proliferating through direct or indirect human intervention – from surface sealing to agricultural monocultures to human-made global warming – an oasis is an ark of diversity and life.
Oases stand for an alternative way of relating to nature and life on earth in general. They are places for experimentation and learning in which people, animals and plants can maintain and develop forms of communal and symbiotic coexistence. They shall exist until there is no more need because the whole world became a garden. They shall be catalysts of this transformation. They are built as places of sparing and will be made obsolete by a practice of sharing. Until then, let’s start creating oases.
Save the date: Open Studios on 6 June 2026
A public programme will take place at E-WERK on 6 June where our artists in residence and permanent studio artists will open their studios to share their work in progress . We will be sharing more details about the programme soon!
If you would like to join the summer school please email curatorial@kunststrom.com - please note places are limited!
Something Fantastic was founded by three architects E. Schütz, J. Schubert and L. Streich based on the conviction that architecture is related to everything and the resulting social, ecological and political responsibility needs a new type of architectural practice.
The work of the “undisciplinary” office ranges from the conception of books and exhibitions to designing furniture, buildings and urban forms that try to do with less while still being fantastic.
After having directed the MAS Urban Design at ETH Zurich for several years, the partners since 2019 together with futurologist Ludwig Engel are heading the Studio for Immediate Spaces at the Sandberg Instituut in Amsterdam. 2020/21 Something Fantastic lived and worked at Villa Massimo in Rome, where they started an ongoing collaboration with gardener Erika Mayr.
