Roads to happiness
Rethinking and building Linz back better

Something is afoot in the city. Curiosity is in the air and there is an unmistakable longing for change. Crucial questions demand an answer: Where are we heading? What is the limit? Which qualities define a liveable city? What makes us happy? Is it true that everyone is the architect of his own fortune?

The exhibition Wege zum Glück addresses these questions by introducing to the public people who have put rethinking and building back better centre stage in their lives: roughly thirty-five projects tell as many stories of good neighbourliness, community, sustainable food, interdisciplinary use of urban space, innovation and self-empowerment. The city becomes a test lab and individual initiatives boost diversity. While the focus is clearly on Linz, this does not mean that the inhabitants of other cities are not getting their say, too.

Taking its cue from the exhibition, the Nordico issues an invitation to all comers to join in, an invitation that takes the form of a multifacetted programme of events: an open lab is designed to serve as a meeting and experimentation zone; city tours and workshops will encourage the formation of urban cliques. This will ideally result in new approaches, networks and communities. The idea is building back better. The so-called Linzer Zimmer showcases a contribution on the theme ​“Happy Place” by the scrint printing workshop overseen by Monika Pichler of the Kunstuniversität Linz. Realised by students, ​“Happy Place” challenges visitors to set out in search of happiness.

An open book case and a give-and-take shop are located in the forecourt.

There is also a bike service station for cyclists.

The following projects and initiatives are presented in the exhibition:

Bikekitchen Linz / City of Respect / Egon-Hoffmann-Haus / Einkaufsgemeinschaft Linz / Foodsharing / FragNebenan / Franck Kistl / frauklarer / Hut & Stiel / KAMA Linz / Leisenhofgärtnerei / Linzer Lerntafel / LinzerBiene / luft*raum / migrare / More: Zeichenworkshop / Nähküche / Neue Nachbarn / OTELO / Papplab / Pumpipumpe / Raubdruckerin / RAUM_WAGEN / RAUMSCHIFF / SALON Franziska / Schwarzwaldgold / SOMA Linz & Café SOMA / Turmeremit im Linzer Mariendom / querDENKRAUM® / Velodrom Linz / Vollpension / Willy*Fred / Zquetschtn Zwetschkn 

Curator, idea, concept: Klaudia Kreslehner

Architecture: mia2/​ARCHITEKTUR, Co-worker: Nina Bammer