Dissassembling Desire

Dissassembling Desire
Simon Oberhofer
Uncovering architectural desire's impact on design, materials, and space. Delving into unbuilt projects and emerging forms of production.

Diskursiv
Graz, Austria
Links
Team members
Adna Babahmetović
Ajna Babahmetović
Julian Brües
Michael Hafner
Katharina Hohenwarter
Philipp Sternath
Field of work
Architecture, Design, Visual Art, Curating, Research
Project category
Raising awareness
Project submitted
2023

Diskursiv, an association for architectural research, comprises five architects and an economist-turned-farmer. We are actively engaged in practicing architecture, teaching it, and constantly rethinking its principles. As such, our primary focus has centered around the eponymous exhibition series in Graz, Austria, which takes the form of exhibitions, lecture series, and resulting publications. Our goal is to both temporarily expose and permanently preserve the current and practical fields of tension within the architectural realm.
Diskursiv has successfully conducted two exhibitions, the first centered around architectural models and the second exploring the fascinating world of colors. Each exhibition revolves around a central question and an open call, which has attracted more than 80 participating architectural practices for both editions. The first edition, "Models," has already been self-published as a book, while the forthcoming exhibition, "Colors," is currently in preparation.
Accompanying both editions are symposiums and lecture series, which have proven to be highly engaging, drawing the participation of numerous young architects and established practitioners alike. The vibrant discussions and exchange of ideas have enriched the architectural discourse.
As we gear up for our third edition, Diskursiv is also delving into the collaterals of exhibition design, emphasizing the circularity of materials and ideas. This exploration allows us to further enhance the dialogue and foster innovation within the architectural community.
With our commitment to pushing the boundaries of architectural thought and practice, Diskursiv strives to create a platform that not only showcases the diversity of architectural approaches but also nurtures an environment for continuous exploration and reflection.


Traditionally, the longing to create physical structures has unified architects across various generations. However, in contemporary times, this desire appears to be a dividing point within the architectural community. Many architects remain perpetually driven by the aspiration to construct, while others find themselves grappling with ethical considerations and might be inclined to avoid building altogether.
“Desire” is the third edition of exhibition series “Diskursiv”. The exhibitions
central inquiry revolves around understanding the conditioning of desire in different contexts of architectural production. Participants and observers are invited to reflect on how the desire to build may influence decisions related to alterations in design details, materials, spatial configurations, functions, unexplored typologies, and sites. Additionally, the forum also considers aspects such as unbuilt projects, unsigned contracts, lost commissions, bureaucratic obstacles, and emerging forms of architectural production that collectively contribute to the multifaceted nature of architectural desire. Main objective is to understand the state of the praxis in different context by analysing the gaps and what is left to be desired in architecture and how this vastly changes in different socio-political contexts.
We want to find out – is desire justified and how do we continue from now on?