AI-generated image of the talking mailbox mascot
In the context of the exhibition series "collective grounds and private matters" by Problem Property, Johannes Büttner and Martin Sulzer have developed a site-specific AR and VR installation for two micro-plots in Berlin-Lichtenberg. In 2022, the artist collective acquired these formerly "ownerless" properties, which measure only 10 meters by 50 centimeters and are the absurd results of historical shifts in property boundaries.
A neighbor wearing a VR headset during the exhibition
The project investigates the history and speculative future of these tiny real-estate anomalies. Central to the work is the artists' attempt to obtain an official house number for their new property. Authorities ultimately denied the request because the plots are deemed "too small" and lack residential buildings. Reacting to this bureaucratic refusal, the artists created an AR musical playing directly on the plots. With the help of VR headsets, visitors are treated to a choir of singing mailboxes that humorously explore modern real estate mechanisms, property acquisition processes, and the narratives woven into the suburban environment.
More information can be found on the Problem Property website.