Marvin Flores Unger Post Motor City S (2017–2023)

Stuttgart’s 304.426 registered cars form the basis for a future narrative portraying a climate-positive future. In-depth critical research into motor cities, drawing on theories of new materialism (Donna Haraway, Bruno Latour, Gilles Deleuze) is further developed into processes of transformation and conception.

What would a post-futuristic future look like and how would it change our environment?

With the aid of machine learning, an artificial body of memory is formed, which drawing on artefacts gives rise to new possibilities that we, having grown up surrounded by car ads and traffic noise, are no longer able to imagine. In a continuous process, AI images and artefacts are shown, to create videos superimposed with car-free roads during lockdown.

The research deals with the history of the automobile and its meaning for society (futurism), industrial infrastructures and (alternative) conceptions of the future.

The works are part of an alternative concept to current narratives of an industry-friendly future. Using machine learning, speculative sculptures are created, which are displayed in a video. A post-futuristic future emerges, presented as an audiovisual installation.

The exhibition "Post Motor City S" was open to the public between 04.11.2022 and 12.11.2022 at Galerie Oberwelt e.V., Reinsburgstrasse 93, 70197 Stuttgart, Germany.

The project "Post Motor City S" was supported by Stiftung Kunstfonds through the special support programme Neustart Kultur.

Credits "Motor City S" 2021
Researcher and Writer, Artist: Marvin Flores Unger
Technical Supporters: Lennart Unger, Jan Hoydem M.A., Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Volker Menke, Etienne Ninkov
Consultants: Hans-Peter Lutsch, Thomas Cappellaro M.A., Jasper Zehetgruber, Philipp Schell M.A., Lutz Unger, Simon Meienberg
University Teachers: Prof. Uwe Fischer, Prof.in Aylin Charlott Langreuter, Prof. Christophe de la Fontaine, Prof. Dr. Daniel Martin Feige, AM Benedikt Kartenberg
Workshop Teachers: Katja Liebig, Dipl.-Des. (FH) Michaela Wirsig, Claudia Heinzler, Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Volker Menke, Tilmann Eberwein, Armin Hartmann, Norbert Kull, Sebastian Lotz M.A., Dipl.-Des. Matthäus Braig
Proofreaders: Martha Bolnyh, Jasper Zehetgruber
Graphic-Designers: Sophie Kraft, Jakob Mayer
Printers: Muellerprints. Digitaldruck Stuttgart
Special Thanks: Martina Unger, Lutz Unger, Prognos AG

Credits "Post Motor City S" 2022
Artist: Marvin Flores Unger
Curator: Peter Haury (Oberwelt e.V.)
Technical Supporters: Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Volker Menke, Jan Hoydem M.A.
Production Supporters: Hanna Araujo Ulmer, Hans-Peter Lutsch, Florian Siegert, Marc Olbrich (Oberwelt e.V.), Thomas Ulm (Oberwelt e.V.)
Printer: Paul Stefan Jäckel (Folien-Box Stuttgart)
Special Thanks: Oberwelt e.V., Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart, 1a Autoservice Karl Schellhorn GmbH