Article:

Im Schaufenster

Shop windows are an underestimated element of everyday life aesthetics. It is more than a place to present goods, and more than just a case for the critique of commodity aesthetics. In fact, it is an extraordinary example of an aesthetics of abundance, an instance of anarchic creativity. Felicitous display windows are ephemeral installations within everyday life. In this context we have to analyze the conditions of their existence as a certain type of window. It is composed of three different levels: the display, the pane, and the realm of the observer. The whole ensemble interacts with its surroundings in different respects: with the observer, who is always within the scene, with other shop windows, with the city's life and events altogether. Shop windows create atmospheres: within themselves and beyond. They have a genuine aesthetic power.