[aha] Instant Urbanism - Exhibition in Chp /DK

[t_bazz at ecn.org]

INSTANT URBANISM

TRACING THE THEORIES OF THE SITUATIONISTS IN CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE AND
URBANISM

14 March – 1 June 2008
The exhibition is financed by Realdania

In the spring of 2008, Danish Architecture Centre puts the social city up
to debate and poses the question: How can we create a social sustainable
city that can and wants to embrace everyone?

Following this line of thought, DAC shows the exhibition INSTANT URBANISM
–an exhibition which questions the prevailing notion of urban planning and
architecture. The social consequences of contemporary urbanism call for
temporary and mobile solutions, spontaneity and social innovation in
creating architecture and urban spaces. We need to rethink and redefine
the city, to create new ways to develop, use and inhabit the city.

Temporary and playful architecture
In the exhibition, international architects and artists show how it is
possible to redefine the city in alternative and new ways. The
architecture is treated with sensual and surreal devices: it is
dematerialised, reused and transformed. Marginal places and densely
built-on areas are now converted into a site for play and action.  The
projects in the exhibition focus on mobility, easy technical
constructions, reuse and spontaneous solutions.

Revolutionizing of everyday life
Instant Urbanism points out the resemblance between the avant-garde
Situaionists from the 60s and 70s and the contemporary projects in the
exhibition. The Situationists reshaped architecture based on the simple
premise that citizens themselves can decide the spaces and architecture
they want to live in, and how they wish to live in them.  With play and
experiments as a tool, the Situationists created flexible structures with
a limited lifespan – and with it a critical standpoint on the thoroughly
planned and rationalised urban environment of modernism. INSTANT URBANISM
takes the viewer on a journey through the visions of the Situationist
movement and shows how to use it in contemporary architecture.

A Peak at some of the Projects: Beukelsblauw
A block of derelict buildings in Rotterdam stood and waited to be
demolished. It was one of the most unseen blocks in the town. By applying
2 macron of blue paint onto it, the artist Florentijn Hofman got people to
start looking again at what was and is there, and maybe think about what
they will get in return.
Florentijn Hofman, 1996.

The Urban Nomad Shelter
The idea was to distribute thousands of inflatable structures to foster a
dialogue between the invisibility and marginalization of the homeless.
This inflatable “home” provides an easy-to-carry and inexpensive
protection from cold, rain and hard sidewalks. The Urban Nomad Shelter was
meant to re-brand the homeless and make them more visible in urban spaces.
McNall & Seeley, 2005 – Los Angeles.

Permanent Breakfast
Permanent Breakfast plays a game with spatial and social boundaries - the
private becomes public, and the public private. It follows a few rules:
the first person issues an invitation to a breakfast in public space, all
those invited agree to invite others to join them for breakfast in public
space next possible date. The snowball principle constantly leads to new
constellations and encounters.
Derschmidt et al, 1996 – present – The project took off in Vienna.

The exhibition catalogue 'Instant Urbanism – tracing the theories of the
situationist in contemporary architecture and urbanism' can be purchased
at DAC or at dacbookshop.dk

The exhibition is created by the Swiss Architecture Museum (S AM) and is
curated by Francesca Ferguson. Read more on the exhibition on S AM’s
website.

INSTANT URBANISM was on display at S AM in 2007 and after the display at
DAC, the exhibition will continue on to MUSAC – Contemporary Art Mueum of
Castilla in Spain.

Artists
Archigram / Cedric Price / Gordon Matta Clark / Hans Hollein /
Haus-Rucker-Co / Kisho Kurokawa / Reyner Banham / Yona Friedman / Atelier
Bow-Wow / Diller Scofidio + Renfro / Florentijn Hofman / Heri&Salli / IaN+
& Marco Galofaro / Lacaton & Vassal / Lucy Orta / Electroland / Michael
Rakowitz / Søren Martinsen / NL Architects / Observatorium / Permanent
Breakfast / Bureau DeTours / Carlos Martinez & Pipilotti Rist / Christoph
Steinbrener & Rainer Dempf / Bernard Tschumi / Urban Space Management Ltd.
/ Peter Fattinger, Veronika Orso, Michael Rieper / Complizen Planungsbüro
/ PPAG Popelka Poduschka Architekten / Collectif Exyzt / Interbreeding
Field / Laurent Hazgui / Deane Simpson & Jörg Stollmann / Santiago
Cirugeda / Srdjan Jovanovic Weiss / Anja Hansmann &Ebru Karaca / Julie
Angel / Ruedi Baur / Citámbulos.

More interesting projects on ’social sustainability'DAC's coming
exhibition GET LOST is closely connected to INSTANT URBANISM and both
exhibitions focus on urban development. GET LOST encounters the audience
in their every day activities in Copenhagen in the shape of short-lived
art projects and interactive interventions in urban public space.
Web-blogs and debates invite citizens to discuss the way in which our
cities develop.

Moreover, in the coming months Copenhagen X will have a close-up at
Copenhagen's profile and examines whether the city is social sustainable.
Copenhagen X will debate, examine and show what makes a city social
sustainable and how we can continue to develop a diverse and social
sustainable city. See more at www.CopenhagenX.dk