Triennale der Moderne > Triennial of Modernism

Planning to become more international in 2022

The outbreak and development of reform-oriented movements at the beginning of the 20th century was a supra-regional phenomenon that spread on international scale and became particularly visible in Europe and stylistic differentiation after World War II. A fact the upcoming programme of the Triennale der Moderne / Triennial of Modernism 2022 and 2025 wants to focus with the help of obtaining new partners and funding on EU level.

For more information and contact details please see:

 

Modernism as an European Phenomenon

At the turn of the 20th century many European cities and regions were facing the same situation: Due to industrialisation people from the countryside moved into the more urbanised areas were a growing number of factories settled. As a result living conditions, society and politics were changing rapidly. Artist and designers created networks and developed new forms of expressions. New paradigms of design and urban planning were needed, especially in the big cities. Just like the German Werkbund and the Bauhaus became driving forces in Germany, other movements like De Stijl, Russian or Czech Functionalism – just to name a few – evolved in other parts of the World. Many of the protagonists were global citizens sharing ideas beyond borders. Doing so they created the so-called International Style which laid the foundation for mid and late century modernism worldwide.

The Triennale der Moderne / Triennial of Modernism is aiming to become a supra-regional and multi-national festival and network on building culture (Baukultur) and the ideas of emerging, classic, mid century and late modernism. The goal is to trace back these developments and create a link between different parts of Europe that share a similar history. In order to do so and to draw a more complex and complete picture, we are heading for networking across the borders and plan to apply for EU funding. Doing so, we are currently starting to look out for partners on European level. The next Triennials will take place in 2022 and 2025. If you want to join please get into contact.

 

Back History, Key Facts and Issues

The focus and starting point in the founding year 2013 were the UNESCO World Heritage sites from the 1920s in the three German cities of Berlin, Weimar and Dessau. The Triennial of Modernism is an initiative of these three cities and some major institutions there but also incorporates a grassroot movement of various local institutions and initiatives that somehow relate to the spirit of emerging Modernism from the Bauhaus era and beyond that.

The aim of the organisers is above all to raise public awareness of the built and cultural heritage of the 20th century, to arouse a broader tourist interest and to embed building culture in general contemporary history and discourses. Since 2013, an extensive programme with around 100-200 individual events has taken place every three years on three consecutive autumn weekends which allows traveling from place to place. The schedules include architectural tours, exhibitions, public events, network meetings, performances, interactive and educational formats, lectures and media presentations, public and scientific symposia and more. 

In order to draw the full picture and to also reflect the broad heritage of modernist thinking that revealed again after World War II, the programme of the Triennial of Modernism 2019 started to focus developments and objects that also relate to International Style, postwar, mid- and late century modernism too. This extended historic range also includes shifts in design, architecture and society of similar movements that were inherent throughout Europe and contributed to decades of peaceful coexistence and supra-national cultural and political exchanges.

At the beginning of 2021, the initiative partners of the Triennial decided a renewed cooperation, with the aim of establishing and sustainably expanding the Triennial in the long term. 

 

Creating Networks on EU Level

As a rule, the German programme and its organisation is financed by state funds, subsidies, third-party funds and/or the project partners‘ own funds.

In addition to this national perspective and back history of the event, a Europe-wide festival and network of modernism is to be established in the near future. In this network-project cities, locations and actors from across Europe with similar focus will interact, share interests, join activities and mutually promote each other.

The application for funding at EU level is targeting the event years 2022 and 2025. Communal authorities, cultural institutions and civil initiatives from other European countries who would like to participate should contact info@triennial-of-modernism.eu for more information.

For more information and contact details please see the PDF file with the key facts linked below the introduction further up.

 

Stay tuned via Social Media

The website www.triennale-der-moderne.de will be updated during the next months. Looking at the back history the slowly growing variety of formats, institutional, municipal, private and civil partners gets visible. This broad range of different actors and topics provides a basis for future explorations. In the meanwhile and between the main event years, we aim to publish and promote special events and/or news in the field of architecture, design, social and urban planning issues related to the modernist era on our recently launched bilingual Social Media channels. Keep posted and follow the Triennial of Modernism at: