2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial Spotlight: Brandlhuber and Christopher Roth probe the politics of property

2017-09-15T17:26:00-04:00

“Who owns what? And why?” Despite their apparent simplicity, these questions strike at the heart of the disparities and violences that mark the contemporary city. Raised by the architecture studio Brandlhuber and the artist Christopher Roth, they also summarize neatly the work on display: a single-channel video entitled The Property Drama.

Through stylishly-shot footage and Godard-esque titling, the film probes the ways that “property is used as a means of control.” In it, the filmmakers juxtapose a wide variety of responses and positions from various figures in architecture, urban design, and politics. Patrik Schumacher advocates for full privatization while Phyllis Lambert declares that “the land belongs to everyone.”

Screenshot from "The Property Drama" trailer.

The second film in a trilogy, The Property Drama follows Legislating Architecture, which premiered at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennial and looked at the “ways that legislation—from building codes to zoning laws—create...

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2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial Spotlight: Brandlhuber and Christopher Roth probe the politics of property