Rural Studio: The Butterfly House
Marjetica Potrc
Rural Studio: The Butterfly House, 2002
Installation, "Model" of the House, Wood, corrugated iron, traffic signs, mosquito-net, 400 x 560 x 720 cm, Produced by Generali Foundation 2002, Recreation Museum der Moderne Salzburg, 2024; complying with the concept of the work "Rural Studio: The Butterfly House" by the artist, it has to be newly constructed for each exhibition with the material "at hand".
GF0003377.00.0-2004
Artwork text
Marjetica Potrč engages with changes in planned and unplanned districts of the city, in particular global slums. Potrč is interested in individual initiatives that address high-tech problems using low-tech solutions. The Rural Studio was set up in 1993 by the architects Samuel Mockbee (1944–2001) and Dennis K. Ruth (1944–2009). As teachers and architects, both dedicated their lives to raising the standard of living for the rural poor. In the Rural Studio, they created a study program that encourages social responsibility in the architects of the future. The program is still run by Auburn University. Students are taught how to build good buildings and houses for impoverished communities in Alabama’s rural west, a part of the so-called Black Belt. In general, only one or two projects are planned per year, in close cooperation with the affected families. Using available resources, including scrap parts that can be repurposed as building materials, the students plan and build inexpensive houses. The Butterfly House is a scaled-down version of the actual 180-square-meter alternative living space that was made from locally available, disposable materials. The name refers to the winglike shape of the tin roof over the veranda. It facilitates the collection of rainwater and maximizes natural ventilation through opening skylights that give the house a light and airy feel. (Doris Leutgeb)