Encounters with Southeast Asian Modernism is a transdisciplinary forum for exploring postcolonial modern architecture and contemporary urban development in Southeast Asia. A particular focus is on the multifaceted links between Germany and the region. Through exhibitions, publications, and symposia, it actively contributes to public discourse.

3 May 2024 to 31 December 2024

Learning from Mangunwijaya focuses on the architectural heritage of Yusuf Bilyarta Mangunwijaya (1929–1999), an Indonesian Catholic priest, writer, political activist, and architect. Mangunwijaya’s architectural legacy was shaped significantly by his studies in Aachen, Germany.

This project examines the enduring impact of his ideas on current generations of Indonesian architects and their relevance to contemporary developments in the region. Through a student workshop, exhibition, documentary film, and symposium, Learning from Mangunwijaya aims to contextualize his work in the present day and foster broad local, regional, and international engagement.

1 December 2022 to 1 February 2023

The architecture of post-colonial modernity in Southeast Asia is the subject of passionate debate in the region and increasingly being recognised worldwide.

Dipl.-Ing. Arsitek: German-trained Indonesian Architects from the 1960s adds to this discourse by shedding light on a little-known chapter of German-Indonesian architectural history – with an exhibition in Jakarta, symposia, and a publication.

16 April to 12 November 2021

With an exhibition in Berlin, online events and a publication, Contested Modernities. Postcolonial Architecture in Southeast Asia 2021 highlights the current discourse on postcolonial modernity in Southeast Asia.

Contributions from Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Singapore as well as Germany critically engage with modernist buildings, open up new perspectives, and promote and develop positive examples of a contemporary approach to them.

30 August 2019 to 15 December 2019

With partners in Phnom Penh, Jakarta, Yangon and Singapore, Encounters with Southeast Asian Modernism shed light on the history, significance and future of socially relevant design ideas of postcolonial modernism in the region and addressed them in the context of the Bauhaus centenary 2019 in Germany.