MUNICH.- At the edge of function and fiction, the new commission for the Staff Entrance of Haus der Kunst Nostralgia by Gülbin Ünlü unfolds in a space of ongoing suspension. With subtle interventions in the museum’s overlooked thresholds, the Munich-based artist invites visitors to navigate the building through inaccessible, yet fully present doors. For the opening on 8.5.25, an activation of the installation will take place. What begins behind closed doors – faint pulses, flickering gestures – slowly seeps out.

Gülbin Ünlü works with a range of mediums, weaving together motifs. Her approach con- nects techno-orientalism with erased or sidelined cultural imaginaries. The portals in Nostralgia do not open, and yet they pull us in. These doors remain closed to the body, but open to speculation. They are invitations to dwell – to remain in the tension between what is visible and what is withheld.

Nostralgia invites to move through the institution without destination, to attend to the act of encountering. The work becomes a choreography of stillness, exploring the latent potential of spa- ces. Rooted in the idea of portals in science fiction, the work opens unexpected encounters with erased histories, alternate realities, and speculative futures. It outlines the building as a speculative device: Architecture not as a fixed structure, but as a site where parallel worlds hover.

The site-specific commission series for the Staff Entrance was initiated in 2021 with the intention to support young local artists from the region during the pandemic, as well as to provide the team with an inspiring moment upon entering and leaving the building during challenging times. It continues as a support for emerging local artists.
During Open Haus, held on every last Friday of the month, Gülbin Ünlü invites the band TAF (Turkish-Armenian Friendship) to activate the portals through sound, movement, and presence.

Curated by Lydia Antoniou. Nostralgia by Gülbin Ünlü is supported by SAHA.