In a dialogue with the local residents, Marko Lulić developed his work Der Stoff, aus dem die Träume sind (The Fabric From Which Dreams Are Made) as part of the Schönes Wohnen (Beautiful Living) project.
"Wohn(t)räume" (dream homes/living spaces) is a popular buzzword in real estate marketing. People's ideas differ a lot as to what it implies. "Wohninsel, Wohnoase" (living island, living oasis) – these two terms are mentioned again and again in connection with the terraced house estate built in Graz-St. Peter in the 1970s.The characteristic reinforced concrete building is said to offer excellent living comfort. Concrete is a building material that moves people and the opinions about it differ. The fabric from which dreams are made. This ambiguous phrase marks the centre of the estate.
"From the outset I regarded the project as an extremely interesting one for various reasons; above all because it was a project in public space that referred directly to a particular location, one which, moreover, was situated in a peripheral area of Graz that I did not know very well beforehand. I decided on the residential estate Terrassenhaussiedlung. My aim was not to just refer to this imposing exposed concrete structure, but moreoever I wanted it to merge with the work, or for the work to merge with it.
"The requirements specified by the project coordinators entailed not only finding a housing estate, but also entering into a dialogue with the residents. I took these instructions very seriously and followed them, as it were, to the letter. I didn't want to just turn up with a work that was already finished and then retrospectively underpin it by conducting interviews or taking photos on the property. I wanted to conceive and develop the work with the residents from the beginning.
"The process was difficult for both sides, but in the end we achieved something that many people had stopped believing in. We formulated and aesthetically implemented a work that made all those involved feel represented. On a facade in the centre of the estate, we displayed a phrase that allowed for a wide variety of interpretations. The location was 'recharged'."
- Marko Lulić in Kunst im öffentlichen Raum Steiermark. Projekte 2010. Werner Fenz, Evelyn Kraus, Birgit Kulterer (Hrsg.). Springer-Verlag/Wien, 2010.
Location: Terrassenhaussiedlung Graz St. Peter, 8042 Graz
