History of Social Practice 2017: WochenKlausur

WochenKlausur

“The name WochenKlausur could be translated as "weeks of closure". The German word Klausur is related to the English words enclosure, seclusion and cloister.”

“The group's projects are collective efforts that take place in the concentrated atmosphere of a closed-session working situation. A strictly limited timeframe - usually eight weeks - gives rise to an unusual concentration of the six participants' energies, allowing the planned interventions to be realized very quickly.”

Artistic group WochenKlausur has been conducting social interventions since 1993. They are set on solving social problems, with clearly set boundaries, with unconventional approaches making it a suitable place for artistic projects. The group tries to take on proposals for improving socio political deficits, using art to achieve long term improvements in human coexistence. Using their artistic sensibilities they find trends that would bring awareness to problem that are not seen by others. Using this unconventional approach breaks, the time-consuming bureaucracy, away from community development.

School Classroom Design

In 1996 the group was asked to help make improvements to two classrooms in Vienna. One sixth-grade class and the other an eleventh-grade class. They decided to work directly with the pupils on what type design would best meet their needs instead of adhering to booklet of standardized specifications for Austrian schools.. Both classes had a wide range of creative suggestions ranging from retractable TV’s, class pets and jungle plants. The group decided to address issues the two had in common, ergonomics, visibility, and aesthetics. The biggest achievement was the desks and chairs being switched to curved rows which helped the pupils feel more engaged. They also opened up the space in the rooms, added lighting and painted the walls all over a 12 week period of time.

Medical Care for Homeless People

Taking place in 1993 the group focused on making free of charge mobile care clinic for the homeless population in Vienna, over the course of 11 weeks. Even though the homeless were technically insured under Austria’s socialized medical system, obtaining the insurance was a tedious effort involving many forms and setting up meetings with long waiting times. After even achieving insurance patients would be turned away from doctors and office officials telling patients to “go wash yourself first.” Thus losing their appointment. WochenKlausur managed to raise over the needed 70,000 euros through numerous donations. The van is now provides free care to approximately 700 patients per month.

Participatory Community Development

In 1997 the group was invited to Ottensheim, a small town which desired growth. They were tasked with community development over the course of 8 weeks. The town’s city development structure was very slow and timely development was questionable in it’s current state. The group sent out questionnaires to all households (4.000 residents), then talked to people in the inns on the main square and got input from the town council and mayor. They decided that the town should form three Interest Groups in Youth, Seniors and Marketplace Over the course of fifteen meetings with the Interest Groups, WochenKlausur presented the town council with a catalog of development measures for the community to use as a basis of discussion.