With the installation “einfach cool” (simply cool), Jochen Lam and Alina Wagner of Transsolar, together with architect Bilge Kobas (Technical University of Munich), are participating in the exhibition “Unheimliche Verschiebungen”, presented by Urbane Künste Ruhr as part of Ruhrtriennale 2026.
Inside St. Petri Church in Dortmund, a sculpture made of discarded air-conditioning units stands like a relic from a bygone era. The installation questions the growing reliance on air conditioning as a response to rising temperatures and draws attention to its implications for resource consumption, energy demand, and the urban climate.
At the same time, "Einfach cool" highlights alternative approaches to coping with heat. The work invites visitors to rethink public buildings as places of refuge during extreme weather events and to explore the potential of passive, resource-efficient strategies for thermal comfort. Church buildings, for example, can serve as local islands of coolness without adding further heat to the outdoor environment.
The installation is part of “Unheimliche Verschiebungen”, an exhibition that brings together artistic works around Dortmund Central Station to reflect on the ecological, social, and political challenges of our time.
The exhibition is presented as part of Ruhrtriennale 2026. More information is available here.
Everyone is warmly invited to attend the exhibition opening on August 22, 2026.
Exhibition period: August 22 – October 4, 2026
Opening hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 11:00 am–6:00 pm.