The temporary use of Lovecraft am Stachus is intended to be a house with great appeal: a former department store where rescued food is eaten and champagne is drunk, where exhibitions are shown and football is played, where roller skating is done and where people slide through colorful tubes to the next floor where creative minds work on the top floor and enjoy the view of the city from the balcony during their breaks. Art, sport, culture, enjoyment and creativity: vibrant life in the former Kaufhof. Unfortunately the doors are still locked.
Three weeks ago, a few thousand people walked through the eight floors for the opening weekend. “More than 1,800 visitors viewed the multimedia installation by Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg in the basement of the building, including many who would not otherwise go to a museum for contemporary art,” says Katharina Vossenkuhl, director of the Goetz Collection the opening weekend at Lovecraft. “After the good start, it’s of course a great shame that the Lovecraft had to close again.”
There was still painting here and screwing there, it was clear that the temporary use would only be able to partially open at first. Originally, the opening weekend wasn’t called opening weekend at all, but rather “First Look”. Michi Kern, initiator of the project, said that the reallocation of the building was extremely complicated. And then things really didn’t work out as hoped, right after the weekend for the Goetz Collection and the “Masterpieces” exhibition. The building permit had not yet been issued.
Gabriel Ioana, whose exhibition “Masterpieces” extends over two floors, had already put up posters and radio advertisements in advance and sold tickets via München-Ticket. He often has their buyers on the phone these days, “some have more understanding, others less.” Some wanted to travel specifically for the exhibition and had booked a short trip around it. “It’s hard for me to have these conversations because I don’t know what to say to people either.” Ioana is frustrated. He had calculated 10,000 visitors per month. Three weeks have now passed without visitors.
Michi Kern, experienced with interim uses and their pitfalls, advised all tenants not to advertise with a specific date before all the permits were in place. “Every building is different, and such a large building with so much history also holds many secrets.” Of course, you’re always smarter afterwards, but he’s not a civil engineer either, says Kern. But all authorities involved are cooperative and all processes are being extremely accelerated.
“There are now two technical tests left,” says the cultural organizer. “Unfortunately, the external testing experts for this don’t grow on trees – normally you wait months for an appointment, but if everything goes well, we’ll be through in two weeks.” With a lot of luck, the entire Lovecraft could possibly even open. For some floors, the football areas for example, this would be earlier than planned. But at least the exhibitions can finally open after the acceptance. Kern also wants to start as quickly as possible. Simply because the building generates a lot of operating costs even when it is not in use.
Other tenants, such as the Community Kitchen, which will offer dishes made from rescued food on the ground floor, see it as relaxed anyway. “We are still renovating and building ourselves,” says Natalie Gath from the Community Kitchen. “And we’re still really looking forward to the start. It’s just a cool project.” Even if the doors only open – hopefully – in two weeks.