Visible upon Breakdown
Exploring the cultural, political and spatial nature of infrastructure
Justinien Tribillon

The space in which we live is determined by currents, by transitions. However, we are so used to moving around in this hypermodern world that we don't even notice the currents that make up our lives. They are invisible, hidden in plain sight - until they collapse. The war in Ukraine is preventing the export of wheat, Covid-19 and timber shortages are making themselves felt in construction projects all over the world: These events are not just human tragedies, they are also an urgent reminder of global dependencies. Visible upon Breakdown examines the cultural, political and spatial dimensions of infrastructure in a transdisciplinary discussion between photography, social sciences and architecture. The focus is on the relationship between the material elements of railroad networks, water supply and communication systems on the one hand, and their inherent political and social meanings on the other.
Justinien Tribillon is an urbanist, author and scientist. He researches infrastructure, cultural politics, migrations and the politics of technical artifacts. Offshore is a design studio based in Zurich and Eindhoven, founded by Isabel Seiffert and Christoph Miler. In addition to commissioned work and collaborations in the cultural field, they are active in design education and investigate critical topics in the fields of design, ecology and globalization in their own projects.