The solo exhibition Time melts even concrete will be on view at GATE TO in the courtyard of Alte Münze from November 3 to November 30, 2026.

☆ Opening: Friday, November 6, from 5 to 8 pm ☆

Inspired by the Arabic proverb “Time melts even marble,” Time melts even concrete reflects on the gradual disappearance of iconic architecture and the traces it leaves behind. Through a series of screen prints, the exhibition pays tribute to historic buildings that have shaped the identity of their cities and are now facing an uncertain future.

At the heart of the project is the Hôtel du Lac in Tunis, a striking example of brutalist architecture designed by Raffaele Contigiani in the 1970s. Once an emblem of the city, the building is set to be demolished and replaced by a luxury hotel rather than renovated. Its story is part of a wider reality in which significant architectural landmarks disappear, often erasing not only physical structures but also layers of collective memory, cultural identity, and shared history.

The title Time melts even concrete transforms the original proverb into a reflection on the fragility of even the most monumental structures. Concrete, often associated with permanence, strength, and endurance, becomes a material that is not immune to the passage of time or to decisions about the future of our cities.

Through screen printing, the project documents and reinterprets these threatened architectural spaces, turning them into images that preserve their presence even as their physical existence is put at risk. The works invite us to consider what is lost when buildings that are deeply embedded in a city’s identity are erased, and how art can serve as a form of remembrance.

Time melts even concrete is a tribute to the modernist and brutalist buildings gradually disappearing from our urban landscapes. It asks us to look again at the structures around us, to recognise them as cultural artefacts, and to reflect on what we choose to preserve for the future.

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GATE TO is a permanent exhibition space at the site of Alte Münze. The former doorman’s house enters into dialogue with its urban surroundings, opening the boundaries between art and public space.