A very brutal red carpet? A flat, floor-level slab of red concrete the length of 10m x 50cm cast in the backyard of Sihlquai 125. In the summer of 2025, after moving into the Binz39 ateliers and reacclimatising to the familiar Sihlquai complex, I developed the idea for an architectural installation in the shared backyard. The past summer had been particularly active: Mikro celebrated ten years with weekly concerts, exhibitions, and events; the space hosted the Rote Kultur Tage, a two-week festival dedicated to working-class culture; and the Autonome Schule Zurich continued its programme of free German classes and low-cost communal meals.

The backyard also hosted POOL Bar, a weekly Künstler*innen Kneipe that I co-founded with Marc Hunziker and Chantal Kaufmann as a way to finance the independent off-space UP STATE, which we curated until 2018. While these initiatives differ in origin, they share structural similarities. POOL Bar began as a student-run space in former Zhdk ateliers; after relocation, we reoccupied the empty building during a bureaucratic transition period. The Autonome Schule was initially denied space before occupying and later negotiating its relocation to Sihlquai 125. Mikro has operated for over a decade without official permission, maintaining a strong self-organised, non-commercial ethos. The Rote Kultur Tage were forced to relocate last minute due to political conflict, finding a temporary home in this backyard.

These situations were made possible by the area’s interim, liminal status—allowing organised groups to exert pressure and negotiate access. This condition is what interests me, and my intention is to contribute to it visually.

The proposal is a low-budget Kunst-am-Bau intervention: a horizontal, almost toppled red obelisk embedded at ground level. The surface would require excavation and levelling, followed by the construction of a wooden negative cast and the pouring of pigmented concrete. The piece remains flush with the ground to avoid interfering with existing activities.

The project has been positively received by the local community, with offers of voluntary support. However, it reached a standstill with the onset of winter and the reality of production costs. I plan to realise the work in spring/summer, ideally with financial support from this prize.