Balkanology
15 Oct - 15 Nov 2010
BALKANOLOGY
curator Kai Vöckler
15.10.2010 – 15.11.2010
opening: Friday 15.10, 18h30
The 9th edition Of the Bucharest Architecture Biennial (www.bab.ro) presents the exhibition Balkanology:
Vladimir Kulic si Maroje Mrduljas / Platforma 9,81, Zagreb / Co-PLAN, Tirana / EXPEDITIO, Kotor/ Archis Interventions, Prishtine / Katherine Carl ?i Srdjan Jovanovic Weiss, Novi Sad/ Philadelphia / Dubravka Sekulic ?i Ivan Kucina, Belgrade / Anri Sala ?i Edi Rama, Tirana / Luise Donschen / Visar Geci, Hamburg/ Prishtine / Dubravka Sekulic ?i Branko Belacevic, Belgrade / Pula Group, Pula / fordewind architecture ltd., Sofia / Zeppelin, Bucuresti si 41 de proiecte de arhitectura fotografiate de Wolfgang Thaler.
The demise of the socialist economic system in Yugoslavia, Albania, Romania and Bulgaria has triggered an extensive wave of informal construction throughout the Balkans that constitutes a new form of urbanisation. This raises the question as to whether, and to what extent, these urban transformations may be a template for the future of European cities. The exhibition presents projects in Belgrade, Zagreb, Kotor, Prishtina, Sofia, Bucharest, Pula and Tirana that illustrate how architects, urbanists and activists approach these processes of rapid urban change, and juxtaposes contemporary buildings with the outstanding, hitherto little-known architecture of Yugoslavia’s Socialist Modernism.»Balkanology« opens a new field of architectural discourse in Romania — the little-known architecture of the post-socialist period and the result of unregulated, uncontrolled urban planning in the neighbouring countries of South Eastern Europe. The exhibition focuses on the impact of recent socio-political changes on architecture and urban planning. The situation in South Eastern Europe is prototypical for urban development in transitional and post-conflict situations, from Prishtina to Belgrade, where weak or missing institutional structures make it impossible to achieve the regulation of construction processes. The wild, volatile spread of informal building structures is the aftermath of the kind of urban crisis that follows social upheavals or wars. At the same time, independently of regional particularities, these urban developments display a new kind of urban form that is quite different from informal settlements in countries outside Europe. Their specific forms result from a new intermeshing of spaces through visual worlds communicated by the media, migratory movements and cash flows. »Balkanology« brings together leading architects and urban planners from South Eastern Europe and shows their approaches to these fundamental urban transformations. The exhibition will show the cultural, social and political dimensions of the urban phenomena of the region. The key question here is to what extent unregulated, informal urbanism develops new typologies and urban forms, and how these forms could also emerge under the banner of neo-liberal de-urbanisation in the rest of Europe. The exhibition presents research projects and concrete interventions, architectural analyses and planning strategies. »Balkanology« deliberately avoids trying to achieve a picture of urban development that would be valid for the whole region. Instead, it uses selected examples from different locations to highlight specific local influences on architecture and urban construction, thus critically examining the potentialities for a re-qualification in urban planning. (Kai Vöckler)
Exhibition realized by S AM Swiss Architecture Museum, Basel in collaboration with AzW Architekturzentrum Wien Exhibition financed by ERSTE Stiftung
Organizers of the project in Romania: Zeppelin Association, The Romanian Architects Union, Arhitectura magazine
curator Kai Vöckler
15.10.2010 – 15.11.2010
opening: Friday 15.10, 18h30
The 9th edition Of the Bucharest Architecture Biennial (www.bab.ro) presents the exhibition Balkanology:
Vladimir Kulic si Maroje Mrduljas / Platforma 9,81, Zagreb / Co-PLAN, Tirana / EXPEDITIO, Kotor/ Archis Interventions, Prishtine / Katherine Carl ?i Srdjan Jovanovic Weiss, Novi Sad/ Philadelphia / Dubravka Sekulic ?i Ivan Kucina, Belgrade / Anri Sala ?i Edi Rama, Tirana / Luise Donschen / Visar Geci, Hamburg/ Prishtine / Dubravka Sekulic ?i Branko Belacevic, Belgrade / Pula Group, Pula / fordewind architecture ltd., Sofia / Zeppelin, Bucuresti si 41 de proiecte de arhitectura fotografiate de Wolfgang Thaler.
The demise of the socialist economic system in Yugoslavia, Albania, Romania and Bulgaria has triggered an extensive wave of informal construction throughout the Balkans that constitutes a new form of urbanisation. This raises the question as to whether, and to what extent, these urban transformations may be a template for the future of European cities. The exhibition presents projects in Belgrade, Zagreb, Kotor, Prishtina, Sofia, Bucharest, Pula and Tirana that illustrate how architects, urbanists and activists approach these processes of rapid urban change, and juxtaposes contemporary buildings with the outstanding, hitherto little-known architecture of Yugoslavia’s Socialist Modernism.»Balkanology« opens a new field of architectural discourse in Romania — the little-known architecture of the post-socialist period and the result of unregulated, uncontrolled urban planning in the neighbouring countries of South Eastern Europe. The exhibition focuses on the impact of recent socio-political changes on architecture and urban planning. The situation in South Eastern Europe is prototypical for urban development in transitional and post-conflict situations, from Prishtina to Belgrade, where weak or missing institutional structures make it impossible to achieve the regulation of construction processes. The wild, volatile spread of informal building structures is the aftermath of the kind of urban crisis that follows social upheavals or wars. At the same time, independently of regional particularities, these urban developments display a new kind of urban form that is quite different from informal settlements in countries outside Europe. Their specific forms result from a new intermeshing of spaces through visual worlds communicated by the media, migratory movements and cash flows. »Balkanology« brings together leading architects and urban planners from South Eastern Europe and shows their approaches to these fundamental urban transformations. The exhibition will show the cultural, social and political dimensions of the urban phenomena of the region. The key question here is to what extent unregulated, informal urbanism develops new typologies and urban forms, and how these forms could also emerge under the banner of neo-liberal de-urbanisation in the rest of Europe. The exhibition presents research projects and concrete interventions, architectural analyses and planning strategies. »Balkanology« deliberately avoids trying to achieve a picture of urban development that would be valid for the whole region. Instead, it uses selected examples from different locations to highlight specific local influences on architecture and urban construction, thus critically examining the potentialities for a re-qualification in urban planning. (Kai Vöckler)
Exhibition realized by S AM Swiss Architecture Museum, Basel in collaboration with AzW Architekturzentrum Wien Exhibition financed by ERSTE Stiftung
Organizers of the project in Romania: Zeppelin Association, The Romanian Architects Union, Arhitectura magazine