Hajek's city iconographies or: Against the 'car-friendly city' with the help of art. In the contest of the exhibition "Otto Herbert Hajek: Keimzelle Erlangen"
Hajek's city iconographies or: Against the 'car-friendly city' with the help of art. The events refers to the current exhibition "O. H. Hajek: Keimzelle Erlangen". Otto Herbert Hajek both temporarily and permanently covered entire urban spaces with his art. Ultimately, it was a matter of realised urban utopia which was adjusted to the needs of the human being, to his movement patterns and to his whish for communication. In a time when the consequences of the car-friendly city were already conceivable or could yet be experienced, Hajek submitted concepts for the design of public spaces which took a new approach: colourful, cheerful places should emerge which started out from the human being and which animated communication and togetherness, at the same time the car should fade into the background. These - partially realised - plans, which Hajek called "Stadtikonographien" (city iconographies), will be related to the urban planning of their times by Chris Gerbing in her speech. Gerbing is a freelance curator and author of scientific publications. (Image: O. H. Hajek: Stadtikonographie Adelaide, Modell. C VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2012; Foto: Erich Malter, Erlangen)