The Dwelling Der Bau // La Tana

Der Bau is a project that stems from the analysis of the homonyms story by Franz Kafka: an unfinished story in which the protagonist—at times animal, at times human—describes the construction of his dwelling, struggling to design a disorienting underground system while constantly fearing that external forces or intruders might contaminate or threaten not only his life but also his burrow itself. Dwelling, boundaries, contamination—the film traces and intertwines different paths, exploring them from multiple perspectives and blurring the distinctions between intruder and watchman. Shot digitally and on Super8, der Bau visually traverses the city of Chemnitz, capturing the enduring contradictions of its many abandoned factories, buildings and structures before and after German reunification.

Maurizio Segato (edit, sound, camera) Hanna Stijnen (camera)

La Tana, exhibition of Maurizio Segato, Campo xs, Genova, Italy