Houston, we have a landing! A kiosk K67 landing!
Dijana Handanovic, University of Houston Interior Architecture Professor has successfully opened the “KIOSK K67: System for Urban Imagination” exhibit, at the Blaffer Art Museum on January 26th, 2023.
This project has been several years in the making and is a true labor of love. Handanovic has been on a quest to find, restore, and preserve kiosk K67 units since 2019. In December 2022, after undergoing vast restorations, three made landfall in Houston, TX from Bosnia and Herzegovina. She has curated an exhibit so that Houstonians can experience the Kiosks firsthand and learn about their history. The purpose of this exhibit is twofold: To highlight the historical, political, and cultural significance of the K67 in the region of former Yugoslavia; and to serve as a place of unity and community building across Houston.
Designed in 1966 by Slovenian architect Saša Janez Mächtig and made out of polyfiber, the multifunctional K67 transformed the streets of former Yugoslavia in a fun, cheerful and adaptable way. The kiosks were used as newspaper stands, coffee shops, post offices, attendant booths, and more. Their bold hues contrasted their otherwise urban concrete surroundings.
Yugoslavia was filled with brutalist architecture with a forced ideology whose goal was to create “Brotherhood and Unity” between the different ethnic groups, these monuments came to represent division upon the collapse of Yugoslavia. In contrast, the K67 that occupied the streets of Yugoslavia in a neutral, accepting, more adapting way continues to be embraced by all ethnic groups.
Professor Handanovic describes their impact and cultural significance “The K67 was a moment of pause in an urban setting that created social networks, it allowed for stories to be exchanged and memories to be created.”
Around 7,500 were produced before manufacturing stopped in 1999; most of the remaining designs were destroyed during the Yugoslav Wars and through decay and time. Handanovic’s goal is to preserve the remaining units and resurrect them to their former glory.
The “KIOSK K67: System for Urban Imagination” is an exhibit that celebrates the diversity of the University of Houston campus and community, and it’s also a place for people to gather and celebrate their similarities. It should serve as inspiration for the students in the arts and design fields, but more importantly, seek to inspire the community as a whole. The installation aims to create a space for people who want to come together and interact with other members of their community, with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion.
The kiosk will remain in the Blaffer Art Museum courtyard (4173 Elgin St) at the University of Houston Main Campus until May 2023. During this time, it will host various collaborations with local and international artists and performers.
