Art Intervention 2023
Poster, brochure, letter, kleinanzeigen advertisement
In collaboration with Constanze Bahlo and Lukas Klein during the seminar “Reparative Futurities” with Prof. Heba Amin and the curator of Künstlerhaus Stuttgart Eric Stone.
Künstlerhaus Stuttgart as Travel Agency-Kuling Resort
Reuchlingenstraße 4B and Nördlinger & Pollock
This art intervention uses fictional narration to intervene in the future of an art institution, questioning the hidden histories behind it. Künstlerhaus Stuttgart, located in a factory building at Reuchlingenstraße 4B, originally belonged to a Jewish family’s luggage company, “Nördlinger & Pollock.” During the Nazi period, the family lost this building and their company and went into exile in Argentina. Since then, the building has been owned by the city of Stuttgart. Künstlerhaus Stuttgart has rented this building since 1978. Last year, the descendants of the Nördlinger & Pollock family initiated legal proceedings to reclaim this building.
With the name of the Nördlinger & Pollock offspring, we put an advertisement on Ebay kleinanzeigen to rent out one floor of the building; and wrote a letter to Künstlerhaus offering an alternative future after the building returns to Nördlinger & Pollock. Specifically, there is a real estate in Kuling, China, also owned by Nördlinger & Pollock, which the descendants could offer to Künstlerhaus Stuttgart after the city of Stuttgart returns the buildingʼs ownership to Nördlinger & Pollock. Künstlerhaus Stuttgart could use real estate in the Kuling enclave but would have to vacate Reuchlingenstraße 4B. Thus, Künstlerhaus transforms into an artist travel agency, organizing artist residency programs in Kuling, China.
The Letter
Maria Schrödinger/ Ursula Pollock
Künstlerhaus
Reuchlinstraße 4B 70178
Stuttgart
Proposal: Relocating Künstlerhaus from Reuchlinstraße 4B, Stuttgart, to Villa No. 281 in Kuling, China
To Whom It May Concern:
We trust this letter finds you well. As you are already aware, ownership of the factory building in Reuchlinstraße 4B, Stuttgart will revert to the Schrödinger & Pollock family. We appreciate your suggestion to delay vacating Reuchlinstraße 4B in Stuttgart; however, due to the long-awaited success of reclaiming ownership, we are unable to accept such a postponement.
It is a pity that this success comes at the cost of closing Künstlerhaus to restart our luggage factory. Nevertheless, we extend an alternative proposal to address the challenges faced by Künstlerhaus. Namely, we would like to offer another real estate property for the future of Künstlerhaus.
It is another significant heritage that we carry from the Schrödinger & Pollock family – a villa located in Kuling, Mount Lu, Jiangxi, China.
Let me explain you how Being forced into diaspora, my grandfather, Hans Schrödinger, embarked on a ship that traversed the Red Sea. Because of the German missionary Doreen Eiswaldt, our family found a safe haven in Kuling, China. Hans Schrödinger acquired the villa from another missionary Edward Selby Little. After the purchase, the family did not stay long, later settling to Argentina.
We seldomly heard about this part of the family story while my grandfather was alive. Only in his will did we discover details about the luggage factories’ legal case as well as a land deed for a villa in Kuling, China, involving a transaction between Hans Schrödinger and Edward S. Little valid until the year 2894. According to a consultant with a real estate advisor, the current valuation of this villa exceeds 1.32 million Euros. However, we lack the capacity to maintain it and have no desire to spend the rest of our lives in an unfamiliar environment. Despite this, my grandfather felt profound affection for Kuling, expressing his longing for it as a hometown. Before his passing, he invested a significant sum to renovate the villa, expecting he could be together with us, spending our summer holidays there. It is his eternal regret that he was never able to return to Kuling. He passed away before the renovation was finished. Hence, we are reluctant to merely lease this place; we wish to utilize it in a manner that honors my grandfather’s appreciation.
Given the circumstances mentioned above, we would like to offer the villa in Kuling to Künstlerhaus Stuttgart for the purpose of artist residencies. We understand that it is a distant location, but it represents the best we can offer under the current circumstances. It could be a compelling opportunity for artists and curators seeking retreat from the world.
We believe that Kuling is an ideal environment for artists to reside and work. To the best of my knowledge, there are currently no art houses in Mount Lu. Should you decide to accept this offer, we believe it would bring great joy to my grandfather who appreciated art and held artists in high regard.
Looking forward to your response. Yours sincerely,
Maria Schrödinger & Ursula Pollock
December 19, 2026
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Xy June Li 