What is supraterranean urbanism?


The work "What is Supraterranean Urbanism and What Does It Want from Me?" presents a displayed view of the modular ladder, the official product of the fictional Congress for Supraterranean Urbanism.

This work delves into the vertical hierarchy inscribed into the landscape and the connotations of being above by presenting the idea of extending public space by occupying the roof landscape: "the elevated
city, with enough air around and over itself, promised space for rational thinking, personal development, and the achievement of one's ideal self."

The sculpture of the modular ladder is presented as a utopic everyday tool for the active and free access to the roofs of the city. During its exhibition at Kunstpavillon, a group of four performers followed spoken instructions that guided them to the roof of the exhibition space.
Each performer carried a Bluetooth speaker that narrated what A, B, C, and D were doing while summarising the discussions that
would have taken place during the 5th Congress of Supraterranean Urbanism. These lectures quoted artists and authors interested in the differentiation between public and private in the urban landscape:


“Supraterranean urbanism was born at the beginning of the last century, as the result of a dream shared by a generation of architects. They dreamt of bringing light, air and nature into the congested and polluted modern metropolis by elevating it. Vertical, flying, above! And so, a congress was founded to present new technological advances that would encourage vertical thinking, being and constructing. This new higher layer in the urban landscape brought hope for a new future to come. The elevated city, with enough air around and over itself, promised space for rational thinking, personal development, and the achievement of one’s ideal self.

Now, the fifth edition of the International Congress of Supraterranean Technology and Urbanism aims to disassociate supraterranean architecture from any utopian construction. Its motto the reoccupation of the above exposes that, such an elevated city, already exists. Above us, as a roof landscape waiting to be annexed to the city below.”

(Excerpt from the label screenprinted in the work)



Work shown and activated in the group exhibition “Kein Plan wiedersteht der ersten Berührung” 

Kunstpavillion, Munich
May 2022

Photographic documentation: Constanza Meléndez

Performed by:  Carmen Arias, Helena Eichlinger, Miriam Enssel, Lea Geerkens, Florian Clemens Meier, Alexandra Müller and Lennart.









Product of supraterranean urbanism, 2022, steel, ceramic, plastic, screenprint on aluminium, 50 x 47 x 380 and modules of 45 x 60 x 100 cm



















Activation of the piece in a 19 minutes performance
© 2025 Carmen Arias All rights reserved 
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