Edwin Lipburger, Kugelmugel
When the Austrian artist Edwin Lipburger built a house in the shape of a ball in the early nineteen-seventies he made headlines in the tabloid press. This was not only because of the unconventional shape of the house, which was situated in the Austrian countryside. Provoked by a series of prosecutions (for failing to obtain planning permission etc.), and in order to escape Austrian jurisdiction, Lipburger had declared Kugelmugel (“Ball Hill”) an independent republic. Only a pardon by the Austrian President saved him from going to jail.
Austrian state officials relocated the structure to the Prater park and surrounded it with barbed wire fencing.
Kugelmugel has since become a tourist attraction in Vienna due to its unique history and architecture. The word “Kugel” means “sphere” in German; the word “Mugel” is an Austrian German expression for “bump”
The project is more than an eccentric architectural experiment. It encompasses the vision of one person to create an alternative to existing ways of living, building and creating art. Except for an article printed in the Austrian magazine “transparent” in 1977, Kugelmugel has never been taken into serious consideration by either the specialised art or architectural press. Nonetheless Kugelmugel resonates today, as projects sharing a similar approach are produced and presented within museum and exhibition contexts. via croynielsen
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