At the intersection of art, contemporary design, and social activism, Winfried Baumann’s ongoing Urban Nomads series has as its focus the harsh realities of homelessness and neonomadism, often in conjunction with issues of housing, food, and restricted mobility. Foremost among the projects that comprise Urban Nomads is Instant Housing, a collection of customizable and readily mobile residential units for those in need of shelter. Other projects in the series range from the transportable cooking stations of Instant Cooking to mobile medical care units and Dresscode, which considers the special requirements of dress for those without a permanent address. Formally trained as a sculptor, Baumann brings to each of his projects both a careful consideration of function and a mastery of sculptural technique. With more than four hundred full-color illustrations, this is the first English-language publication to focus solely on Baumann’s powerful and thought-provoking body of work. Rounding out the volume is an extensive interview with the artist and several essays by scholars in the field, shedding light on how the Urban Nomads projects prompt reflection on our own lifestyles and those around us.
