Exhibition Depicts “Lost Places in the Alps and their People”

The exhibition “Lonely Mountain Top – Lost Places in the Alps and their People” – curated by the Institute of Philosophy and Political Science at TU Dortmund University under the joint direction of Dr. Nora Becker and Professor Christoph Schuck together with Dr. Niklas Gliesmann, the scientific curator of City Campus – shows abandoned ski resorts in Switzerland and casts the spotlight on the people there affected by structural change. The exhibition is on display on the university floor at the Dortmunder U Center for Arts and Creativity until 24 November.

Places where people live, work or spend their leisure time can sometimes become “lost places” in the course of structural change, as can be seen, for example, from some industrial towns in the Ruhr region. Also among these disused places are regions that you would not expect at first glance – including the Alps and especially Switzerland with its abandoned ski resorts: Rusty masts, defective gondolas and dilapidated mountain restaurants still seem to be waiting for their visitors. Cableways slice through the forests, as do ski slopes that are no longer cleared.

Human stories make structural change tangible

Alongside impressive photographic portraits of these lost places, the exhibition spotlights the people affected by structural change in the Swiss mountains. In studies of ski resorts that are no longer operating, known as Lost Ski Area Projects (LSAP), human narratives are not always prominent. “Yet they make such experiences particularly tangible – and all too often form the link between the deserted or abandoned and the sense of loneliness,” says Professor Christoph Schuck.

Together with his team, he has built up a database of all ski resorts and individual valley lifts in Switzerland ever documented – over 40 percent have meanwhile disappeared. Apart from climate change, the reasons for this include a declining trend in winter sports and insufficient profitability. The seminar “Politics and Public Space: Loneliness and Structural Change”, in which students explored possible approaches for depicting loneliness, helped in the design of the exhibition, which also includes exhibits from the ALPS Swiss Alpine Museum.

Accompanying program on the university floor:
Family Sunday, 3 November:
12.30–1.30 pm.: Round table on loneliness – City Talks
2.30/3.30 p.m.: Open talk “Gesprächskanone”: Loneliness – Is it a taboo?

As a partner of the Dortmunder U Center for Arts and Creativity, TU Dortmund University regularly gives an insight on City Campus into research and teaching. Exhibitions, presentations and a forum for dialog offer urban society the opportunity to learn about and discuss questions and findings from scientific disciplines through various event formats.

Visitors can view the exhibition during the opening hours of the Dortmunder U Center for Arts and Creativity. Admission is free.