INSTITUT FOR [X]

Since its foundation in 2009 Institut for [X] has been a laboratory for bottom-up, hands on urban development in Aarhus, Denmark.

Centred on an old railyard close to AROS art museum, Institut for [X] was founded as the third large-scale “habitat project” by interdisciplinary collective Bureau Detours and was run as an informal experiment for artistic expression and community exploration for the first few years. In these years IFX grew into the multifaceted village of different communities, companies and projects working within the territory of IFX and branching out into the city of Aarhus.

In 2018 “bulldozer day” came – the truth. Since the start of the project participants knew that the territory will be developed into the new Aarhus School of Architecture and a municipal development of the wider Godsbanen area with a business park and housing. By then the self-described “community of egos and creative caretakers” had surpassed its own soft goal of 128+ members by far. Even though “bulldozer day” was inevitable, a deal with the municipal actors was reached and development plans were changed. In the end parts of the territory were formally designated as a public park and only a fraction of the territory was used for the construction of the new Architecture School. Additionally, IFX was enabled to grow into new areas close to the original site – Institut for [X] Version.2 was born.

Today Institut for [X] is an ever changing and morphing community of 600+ active members, 90 studios & art-residencies, actors from schools to grassroots initiatives exploring the artistic, social, cultural and architectural idea of placemaking. The community is also part of the mycelium of cultural platforms, such as FLUKHX, Trans Europe Halls and STUN, that act on the same principals on a transnational scale. (Maximilian Liko)