Designboom_ Continuing the exploration of 20th-century urban utopias, German artist Clemens Gritl unveils a new chapter in his project, A Future City From The Past. Following the success of the initial installment, Gritl delves deeper into the realms of mid-century architectural dreamscapes and dystopias, digitally rendering a series of artificial and 3D architecture models. Here, looming concrete forms extend to the horizon and cast shadows over deserted motorways, as articulated facades and pitch-black windows create an ominous, silent gloom — no signs of life, only a vast expanse of Brutalist architecture.

These bleak black and white landscapes, dominated by the imposing geometric structures of the scaleless super-Brutalist megacity, captivate with their uncompromising and overpowering corporality. Clemens Gritl crafts an enigmatic vision of radically aggressively futuristic urban dystopias, a relentless extension of Brutalist principles. Inspired by the revolutionary social visions embedded in mid-century architecture, the artist’s deep fascination finds expression in detailed 3D computer models. Through these digital creations, Gritl refracts and redefines the urban utopias of the 20th century, constructing disturbing architectural possibilities for an imagined urban future.

The photo-realistic presentation is closely aligned with architecture photography of the 1960s. Gritl however inverts the optimism inherent in the documentation of the architectural zeitgeist of its era, whererin the monuments become monsters. The resulting landscapes will be showcased at Hundertmark Galerie in Berlin from November 8 until November 30, 2023.