Wastelands of Halle

Ludwig-Wucherer-Straße 6, Halle
Foto: Lara Almarcegui

Lara Almarcegui is interested in wastelands due to their nature as unshaped areas. Everything that happens on wastelands occurs by chance, there is no correspondence to an authoritative plan or wish by architects, urbanists or politicians. Normally hidden or suppressed processes of entropy and decay are able to unfold. Everything seems possible and people can feel free to use them in many spontaneous ways. By opening up wastelands to the public, Lara Almarcegui intends to not only question the common uses of public space and private property, but also to literally reclaim the territory for as long as possible. When wastelands are closed off, for instance by a fence, her projects aim to make them accessible. Other fallow lands are open but people still hesitate to enter. Then Lara Almarcegui initiates a possible set of interventions such as clearing measures, the installation of billboards or the distribution of folders directing attention to the designated area.

Lara Almarcegui was born 1972 in Zaragoza, Spain. She lives and works as an artist in Rotterdam. Her works concentrates on site-specific projects in public space.