The photographs by Adrian Talmon depict tenants who have been resisting potential displacement for years, within their apartments. The focus is on the living situations and life in one of the many Viennese tenement houses still prevalent in the city. Many districts in Vienna are characterized by these buildings from the Gründerzeit, which were constructed between about 1850 and 1918.
The building near Wiedner Hauptstraße is one such example. It was constructed in 1893. Over 120 years later, the house is still standing and occupied. However, the commercial space on the ground floor is vacant, and the façade has long been in disrepair. The most problematic aspect is the condition inside: lead in the water, a crumbling and graffiti-covered façade, broken doors, frequent water pipe bursts, mold—the list of complaints from the residents is long. According to long-term tenants, there is a reason for this, which has long been a system in the Viennese speculation market: the new owner and the responsible property management have not addressed the issues for years. Some of the longtime tenants fear that this neglect is a strategy to force them out of their long-time homes. Applications to classify the building as a so-called protected zone have so far been in vain. Theoretically, buildings in protected zones should be better protected against demolition. In practice, however, this is often not the case, as Viennese building law is so flawed that demolitions in protected zones can still be easily carried out. Between 2007 and 2019, 392 Gründerzeit tenement houses were demolished. The current annual trend is rising.
According to the research portal “Wienschauen,” about 30 out of 35 demolition requests in Vienna were approved in 2022. However, this whole predicament has a positive side effect: a wonderful community of neighbors has formed through their collective struggle.
This series was created as part of the cooperative project "WIE WIR (NICHT) LEBEN" with Arbeiterkammer Vienna.
As part of the eponymous urban exhibition, which was on view from June 26 to September 1, 2024, at various locations across Vienna, RIDERS ON THE STORM was presented in Gebietsbetreuung Floridsdorf in 1210 Vienna.
