How can we imagine cities as more than just places to live?
How can we rethink public space as a shared ecosystem between humans, animals, plants, and technologies?
How can performative practices activate local energies, foster ecological awareness, and generate new forms of coexistence?
Inspired by Henri Lefebvre’s theory of the “right to the city,” this residency invites participants to explore the role of performative architecture as a practice capable of transforming the urban landscape into a plural, inclusive, and more-than-human environment.
The aim is to shape new urban imaginaries where the design of public space becomes a collective, ecological, and radically open act.
Particular attention is given to urban peripheries: often marginalized spaces, yet rich with potential. Here, performative architecture can become a critical and transformative tool—one that redefines the relationships between body, space, environment, and community.
As part of Performing Architecture, —a project by BASE Milano in collaboration with DOPO?, ZK/U Berlin, Concéntrico Festival, and dpr-barcelona, and supported by the Italian Ministry of Culture—this open call is addressed to Italian architects, artists, designers, and researchers working at the intersection of architecture, public space, and performative practices.
The residency will serve as a research and experimentation lab for those interested in imagining and activating public spaces as sites of coexistence between human and non-human communities, blending ecological, performative, and technological approaches.
ZK/U – Center for Art and Urbanistics, Berlin is an interdisciplinary cultural center, artist residency, and independent cultural hub founded in 2012 in Berlin-Moabit. It connects artistic research and social innovation, exploring urban dynamics through exhibitions, gatherings, and citizen-engaged formats.
To date, ZK/U has hosted over 800 artists from around the world, becoming a vital space for those working at the intersection of art, cities, and society. It continues to thrive thanks to the support of an active community that defends its independence.
The residency will take place from August 1 to 30, 2025.
During the residency, the selected participant will:
→ have access to a studio and accommodation at ZK/U
→ take part in the center’s exchange program and public events
→ present their project during the weekly community dinner
→ receive studio visits from professionals and curators within ZK/U’s network
→ gain online visibility through ZK/U’s website and Instagram
The residency offers:
→ a fee of €2,500 (excluding VAT and before any applicable taxes)
→ studio and accommodation at ZK/U
→ coverage of production costs, travel, and per diem
→ potential support for specific accessibility-related expenses
