Suddenly, there’s room for new forms of art in Selnau

“A project like this is probably unique in Switzerland: so much space for artists and cultural practitioners – right in the heart of the city,” says Samantha Zaugg, her excitement clearly evident. Zaugg is a member of the Haus im Haus association, which has been permitted since September to use the 2,000-square-metre space in the north wing of the ewz substation at Selnaustrasse 25 for a year. The enthusiasm for something new and the joy of having found a space for it are clearly palpable here, whilst all around a sense of powerlessness is spreading in the face of cultural spaces whose very existence is under threat.

Wednesday evening, 7 pm; the city is shrouded in autumnal darkness, and life is retreating from the streets into indoor spaces. I walk from the Enge neighbourhood to the ewz Selnau substation, which rises skywards beside the River Sihl. On the other side, the TX Group building glows; it houses, amongst other things, the *Tages-Anzeiger*, where a few more journalists are currently being made redundant. Can the cultural world draw new energy here, in a former power station?

I remember the hidden entrance to Haus Konstruktiv: I walk past the Impact Hub’s ‘power station’, which is located in the south wing of the Unterwerk. On the north side of the building, I spot the entrance to the new SELNAU. I see young, well-dressed people standing outside the entrance, smoking. A white exhibition poster entitled DIRT stands in front of the entrance.

Today is a rehearsal. The collective has invited students from the Trends & Identity course at the ZHdK to produce an exhibition and showcase their work for one evening. “We had a week to produce the works and another week to exhibit them,” says one student. The collective wants to test whether its processes work: “We’re thrilled with how well they’ve got it all under control,” says Samantha Zaugg.

Together with Afrim Fetinci, Ricardo Meli, Olga Popova and Stefan Schellinger, Samantha Zaugg founded the association Haus im Haus. They all have extensive experience in art and curation. “We were all moving between temporary spaces and didn’t have a fixed location. That’s now changing with SELNAU.” The collective aims to develop and exhibit its own projects and invite guest artists from various disciplines. There are also studio spaces for artists. “We’ll soon have a mini-golf course, so people who aren’t particularly interested in art can drop by too,” says Samantha Zaugg. As she explains to me in detail how they advertised the studio spaces publicly and allocated them, I notice just how much importance the collective attaches to fairness and how they treat one another. They view the cultural scene as a vast network of key collaborators.

People are streaming in and out of the building. In the foyer, my gaze falls on the stylish bar with its dark green counter and speckled floor tiles; it forms the sociable heart of the building. A tower of sparkling fortune biscuits beams out at me, as do the collective members gathered at the bar. They fill the seemingly cold concrete rooms with warm and inviting energy.

The joy of being able to exhibit here is palpable everywhere. Here at SELNAU, the museum space is being redefined. Discussions about the works are warm and open; laughter is allowed, yet the atmosphere remains pleasant and focused.

I step into the first room of today’s exhibition, which is more like a hall. I spot a single artwork in the centre of the room. All around: air and space. The walls are bare, and you can tell from the partly peeling façade that this almost century-old building has been through a lot: here, a cable sticks out; there, you can peer into another room through a hole in the wall. The building presents itself unvarnished, just as it is. Yet, in its imperfection, it seems perfect for the people who are here.

The nine artists from the ZHdK were given free rein to use four of the five floors. “At first, this seemed like a challenge to us, but then we realised that this space actually enriches the works,’ says one student. In a museum, we usually have limited space for a selection of works. At SELNAU, a new situation is emerging: what happens when a lot of space suddenly becomes available?

It is precisely these moments that Haus im Haus aims to explore: what happens to a space when it is not used by an institution, but by an independent collective?

The terms under which the space could be used were a political issue. Initially, EWZ demanded payment of the operating costs, which were by no means insignificant. In a second round of tendering, the costs were reduced due to the short tenancy period. “We pay for water and electricity,” says Samantha Zaugg, “and see it as a privilege to be allowed to use this space.” This is a “smart move” by the City of Zurich. To achieve the City of Zurich’s net-zero targets for 2040, the EWZ substation is subsequently to be restored to its original function and converted into an environmentally friendly energy centre. An alliance centred on the Selnau Neighbourhood Association is campaigning to preserve this cultural venue in this central location. Culture and energy – who knows, perhaps the two could even come together.

As I leave, I find myself thinking that vibrant cultural projects are fundamentally linked to the spaces available for them and the conditions under which people work within them. In this case, this is largely done on a voluntary basis. However, the SELNAU project is not just a labour of love – what the collective runs here is their profession. The reward, however, involves a great deal of fundraising.

I ask Samantha Zaugg what gives her hope for the future of culture. She says: “For us, the solution lies in the collective. Organising ourselves and supporting one another.” I let my gaze wander over the people in the foyer: here, in this microcosm, it’s already working perfectly.

The SELNAU project (Selnaustrasse 25 in Zurich), featuring a variety of events, is running from now until September 2027. The current programme can be found on the website and on social media. As there are no regular opening hours (yet), the collective asks that you be sure to check the programme before your visit.