Call for Papers █ Architectures, Natures and Data: The Politics of Environments

ARCHITECTURES, NATURES AND DATA:
THE POLITICS OF ENVIRONMENTS

Faculty of Architecture, Estonian Academy of Arts
Tallinn, Estonia

April 20-23, 2017

CALL FOR PAPERS

Two themes stand out prominently in discussions, projects and strategies that are at the forefront of contemporary urbanisation. It is, on the one hand, the question of ecology, where the city and architecture are reconceptualised in “green” terms, such as sustainability, resilience, metabolic optimisation and energy efficiency. On the other hand, there is the cybernetic question, where the futures of architecture and urbanisation are staked upon the pervasive use of digital communication, interactive technologies, ubiquitous computing, and the “big data”. Moreover, these two questions have become increasingly intertwined as two facets of a single environmental question: while real-time adjustments, behaviour optimisation and “smart” solutions are central to urban environmental agenda, the omnipresent network of perpetually interacting digital objects constitutes itself as a qualitatively new environment within which urban citizens are enfolded. But, as digital networks become our “second nature,” we also hark back to the models derived from the “first nature.”

There is growing pressure on architects, urbanists and planners to deliver ecological and techno-informational solutions, with (self-)monitoring of citizens “behaviour”, optimisation of the buildings “performance” and smoothing of urban “flows”, along with the respective substitution of democratic politics by automated governance models. As such, it is ever more important to interrogate the historical, theoretical, methodological and epistemological assumptions beneath the above set of processes that can be described, following Michel Foucault, as environmental governmentality. These questions will be explored under three thematic tracks.

———Optimised urban ecosystems

While urbanisation had for centuries relied on nature as its constitutive outside—as a resource and as a fantasy—it is only during the 1970s that the urban-nature dichotomy was subjected to the paradigm of limits and risks. Protection, conservation and sustainability had been institutionalised as regulative planning ideas in the following decades and the city itself was thereby reconceptualised as an ecosystem. More recently, however, urban “ecosystems” are being subjected to the criteria of resilience, and the ideals of harmony and balance replaced with emergence and complexity. Urban planning and development are transformed into variants of metabolic governance, the objective of which is to optimise energy flows, smooth eco-infrastructures, and stimulate ecosystemic self-organisation, even at the price of insulating the optimised, smooth and self-organised from the labour on which it essentially rests.

What are the histories and futures of sustainability, resilience and ecological optimisation and how can they be addressed as epistemic categories beyond their implied “solutionist” imperative? What roles have architectures and urbanisms played in these epistemic transformations? What are the broader political consequences of thinking the city as an ecosystem and urbanisation as a metabolic flow? To what extent is the widely analysed shift from planning and government to management and governance (or from Fordism to post-Fordism more generally) itself rooted in the urban ecological imperative of the last 40 years?

———Architectural turn to nature?

In terms of their relationship with nature, urbanisms and architectures today are caught in a peculiar paradox. On one side these disciplines recognise that there is no pure nature, that nature has been “planetary urbanised”. On the other hand, they are drawn to the idea of pure nature as a blueprint for spatial action. The morphology and morphogenesis of biological organisms inspire ostensibly resourceful tectonic solutions and efficient material performance. The evolutionary model and the ecological cycling of nutrients inspire ostensibly non-deterministic, open-ended models of urbanisation.

But why and how have biomimesis and ecomimesis come to constitute an unquestioned ideal for architecture and urbanism in the first place? What is a more fundamental historical and epistemological stake underneath their biomimetic and ecomimetic impulses? Why has nature, as described by natural sciences, been appropriated as a model and a teacher? Why is nature viewed as inherently efficient and intelligent and how does current architectures’ “turn to nature” differ from earlier such turns? What are the social costs of urbanisms’ green, “clean-tech” imaginations?

———”Big data” and urban subjectification

Similar questions can be directed at the notions of human nature and subjectivity. As the proliferation of data de-stabilises human subjectivity, rendering individuals into profiles and substituting individuation with algorithmic personalisation, the idea of a human-friendly city continues to inform urban design. While we expect that “big data” will help us to better design “for people” and make cities more “liveable”, we tend to ignore how these data simultaneously undo the very meaning of people and life. The ultimate embodiment of this paradox is the “smart city,” wherein puerile idea of a desirable urbanity correlates with the transformation of life into a data stream.

How have the environmental powers of architectures and urbanisms mutated since these disciplines started to unfold subjects in cybernetic environments? Who are the past, present and future subjects of digital governmentality-through-environments? Who is the “smart”, optimised, efficiently behaving and algorithmically desiring citizen? And, in what sense, if any, can they be called a democratic citizen? Have social classes and political parties been replaced by de-territorialised swarms? Has government been replaced by environmental modulation?

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Authors are welcome to submit analytical papers, theoretically well-grounded case studies, or architectural counter-projects for presentations while indicating their preference for one of the above tracks. At the same time, we ask that their contributions consider specifically how natures and data are intertwined in architectural and urban politics today, how the politics of environments is simultaneously ecological and cybernetic.

Please submit your proposal (max 400 words) and a short bio (max 50 words) to architecturesnaturesdata@gmail.com by November 1, 2016.

Conference keynotes will be given by Matthew Gandy, Antoinette Rouvroy and Douglas Spencer.

For further information, please visit www.architecturesnaturesdata.com.

The story of the unbuilt town hall:
On October 20th at 6 pm, the Open Lecture Series of the architecture faculty will be happy to present architect Jakob Lange from BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) at Kanuti Gildi SAAL (Pikk 20, Tallinn). Lange has been working for years on BIG’s proposal for Tallinn’s new town hall – the project that won the competition in 2009 and is yet to be built today, and has promised to share the story of the “village” typology proposed by BIG. Could architecture improve communication between people and the city government? Open Lectures are open to all architecture students, professionals and general audience intrigued by spatial matters: the lectures are in English and free of charge.

Jakob Lange is a partner at BIG and has collaborated with Bjarke Ingels since 2003. As a project leader for several award-winning projects, Jakob has been instrumental to many of BIG’s largest commissions. He led the design and development of The Mountain mixed-use residences in Copenhagen, completed in 2008, and served as the Project Leader for the new Tallinn Town Hall in Estonia, which received a MIPIM Future Award 2011. He is currently Partner in Charge of Stettin 7, a 20.000 m2 sustainable luxury residential building in Stockholm, Sweden. Jakob also heads BIG IDEAS, BIG’s technology driven special projects division. Through analysis and simulation, BIG IDEAS informs BIG’s design decisions with research-based information—Information Driven Design. Special projects, including a green window farm, customized furniture, and innovative building systems support the studio’s work from small details to the BIG picture.

More about BIG’s Tallinn town hall project: http://big.dk/#projects-tat

Open Lecture Series is supported by Estonian Cultural Endowment and organised by the Estonian Academy of Arts architecture department.
Series curated by Sille Pihlak and Siim Tuksam (PART)
www.avatudloengud.ee

More info:
Lisainfo:
Pille Epner
arhitektuur@artun.ee
+372 642 0071

This time the model in EAA Design Faculty`s drawing studio`s croquis is Natalja.

Artist statement:
I strive to explore the tension between industry and the organic. I choose forged steel as my primary method. I do this because forged steel retains an industrial weight as it simultaneously can be made plastic and non linear. Within this merging duality I find a larger narrative. These feelings resonate with my own interests in understanding how we as a people seek to find balance in the world. A balance of our own.
The industrial ruins that dot the American landscape inspire some forms in my work. Other forms are directly related to anatomy and the human body. A recent body of work explores the aesthetic nature of graffiti that dominates these industrial ruins. It is my goal to explore the flux of human impact on the natural world and to comment on our social and physical impact through this exploration.

Zachary Lihatsh is an artist, designer, and blacksmith. Born and raised in New Hampshire, Zach later settled in Arizona where he established his studio. He received his undergraduate degree form Prescott College in northern Arizona and is currently an MFA candidate at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. He has taught blacksmithing at high school and college levels as well as assisting at the Penland School of craft in North Carolina. He has exhibited work nationally and internationally. His Public art commissions can be seen in Tucson, Arizona and at The University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
www.zachlihatsh.com

On October 6th, the Open Lecture Series of the architecture faculty will host Lina Ghotmeh, one of the architects behind the mega-project of Estonian National Museum, to be opened for public on October 1st. Ghotmeh will share her story of how the Estonian National Museum was built – from the original concept to the grand opening, touching also upon the changes that took place during the ten years, and what the project means to her. The lecture will take place at Kanuti Gildi SAAL (Pikk 20, Tallinn) and is open for free to architecture students and professionals of the field as well as people interested in architecture.

Lina Ghotmeh is an architect, ‘distinction’ graduate from the American University of Beirut and the École Spéciale d’Architecture, Paris. Prior to establishing her office, she had worked between Paris, London and Beirut collaborating with Ateliers Jean Nouvel. In 2006, after winning the 1st Prize of the international competition of the Estonian National Museum, she established along with Dan Dorell and Tsuyoshi Tane DGT / Architects: an international design platform based in Paris. Lina practices a sensitive architecture through a multi‐disciplinary and research driven approach. She has received numerous awards, among which: the Areen and the Azar Awards prized along her studies, the French Ministry of Culture Architecture prize ‘’AJAP 2007‐08’’, and the French Architecture Academy Dejean Prize 2016.

In 2010, she was selected for the «10 for 2010 Visionary Architects for a new decade» by the European Architects Review and recently the Estonian National Museum has been awarded the GRAND PRIX AFEX. Lina is also actively involved in the academic world. She has taught Architecture as an Associate Professor at the École Spéciale d’Architecture (2008‐2015). She has also lectured, led workshops and been juror at architectural schools and institutions including Parsons School of Design, Paris; the Rhode Island School of Design, RISD, Providence; the Royal Academy of Arts in London and Columbia University in New York.

The Open Lecture Series of the Estonian Academy of Arts architecture faculty invites renowned architects, theoreticians, architecture critics and urbanists to Tallinn to speak about the latest ideas and points of view making ripples in architecture, design, city planning and critical thinking. The lectures are in English, free and open to anyone and especially intended for architecture students and professionals of the field as well as the general audience interested in matters concerning space.

Open Lecture Series is supported by Estonian Cultural Endowment and organised by the Estonian Academy of Arts architecture department.
Series curated by Sille Pihlak and Siim Tuksam (PART)
www.avatudloengud.ee
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1240960255955870/

Croquis.

30 September 2016 at 4 pm, EKA Faculty of Fine Arts, Lembitu 10B, room no 136
On Friday, 30 September at 4 pm British artist Laura Buckley will speak about her works.

Laura Buckley is the main guest of the Kumu Art Film Festival KuFF, her film The Magic Know-How will be presented at the KuFF’s opening screening Moving Pictures: Artist’s Films from the Film London Jarman Award on 29 September 2016 at 7 pm in Kumu Auditorium.
Laura Buckley works expansively with moving image, sound, light, sculpture and digital print. Working with scanned imagery, her prints feed back into her projected videos which when combined with footage from life create highly abstracted environments. On entering Buckley’s installations a collective memory is evoked where various of states of mind are played out, from melancholy and anxiety to euphoria. Combining footage and audio from life with studio produced sound, the viewer is taken on a journey through a combination of parts intertwining personal, structural, and emotional dynamics.

Born 1977, Ireland, Buckley lives and works in London. Solo projects include Polarised (with Kim Coleman) at Block 336, Brixton (2016), Re-discovery 1 at Autocenter, Berlin (2014); The Magic Know-How at Site Gallery, Sheffield (2013); Fata Morgana at Cell Project Space, London (2012); Shields at the Zabludowicz Collection, Sarvisalo, Finland (2012); The Mean Reds at Supplement, London (2011); and Waterlilies at Mothers Tankstation, Dublin (2010). Her films have featured in screenings for MJ Gallery, Geneva (2014); Bold Tendencies, London (2013); and the Derek Jarman programme for Serpentine Gallery, London (2008). In 2010 Buckley was shortlisted for the Converse/Dazed Award and in 2014 she was shortlisted for the Jarman Award. Collaborative projects have included a live performance with Paul Purgas at the Whitechapel Gallery (2014), Slate with Dan Coopey at Turner Contemporary, Margate (2013); Bismuth Eyes with Andrew Spence at Cell Projects, London (2012) and Stage Frightwith Dave MacLean and Haroon Mirza at Rokeby, London (2009). Current projects include solo exhibitions at EIGEN+ART Lab, Berlin and Art House Foundation, London.
Vaata ka / See more at:

www.laurabuckley.com
https://vimeo.com/user10152368

Croquis.

Exhibition “Encounter Estonian Design. An Introduction”

Exhibited designs:
Anna von Maydell / Atelier für Kunstgewerbe, A.M. Luther furniture factory, J. Lorup glass factory, E. Taska workshop, Tarbeklaas, Standard, Estoplast, Kunst ja Kodu, Tallinna Ehituskeraamikatehas, Kunstitoodete Kombinaat, Punane Ret, Salvo, Ruum ja Vorm, Martin Pärn, Tarmo Luisk, Veiko Liis, Jaanus Orgusaar, Kärt Ojavee, Raili Keiv, Keha3, HUUM, Iseasi, Scheckmann, Kärt Põldmann, Marit Ilison, Warm North, Johanna Tammsalu, Monika Järg, Anton Koovit, Kelpman Textile, etc.

Curator: Kai Lobjakas, Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design

On 29 September, an overview of the history of Estonian design curated by the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design will be opened in Tartmus. It concentrates on the most important aspects and trends in Estonian design. For Tartmus, this is the first overview of Estonian design. “Encounter Estonian Design. An Introduction” will remain open until 1 January 2017.

Over the last decades the various aspects and layers of Estonian design have been thoroughly researched. Design, like most other labels and ideas with a prolonged history, has been redefined to reflect the needs of any era. The rise of new meanings, however, has meant that understanding design has become harder and some of the newer definitions might not be compatible with the older ones. To some, “design” might mean a specific technical detail or an especially valuable chair, but others might define it as life altering innovation. This raises the questions: is design an object or a service, visible or invisible, a product, a unique item or an idea?

The spatial and temporal borders have also been changing. The history of design either begins with human civilization, with the industrialization period of the end of the 18th century, or with the years following the Second World War. All of these definitions, however, see design as a means of change – either for a group or an individual. It makes life easier, safer and happier.

Although Estonians have participated in the creation of many important design solutions – like the spy camera Minox or the communication platform Skype – our design has been historically associated with light industry and everyday life.

The Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design has used the last 15 years to map the local design landscape and to place its history into context. With new information, the idea of Estonian cultural heritage has grown. The present exhibition is based on this research and connects the history of design with contemporary ideas. Using a selection of examples that have been considered the most prominent of their time, it contextualizes the Estonian design landscape and reveals the various aspects that are its most distinguishing characteristics.

An educational programme for various age groups will accompany the exhibition. More information at www.tartmus.ee

Pseudo
22 September – 30 October at the Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM)
Vernissage on Wednesday 21 September at 6pm
Artists: Dénes Farkas & Taavi Talve, Dora García, Flo Kasearu, Jevgeni Zolotko, Kristiina Hansen & Sigrid Viir, Neeme Külm
There is no beginning. I was begotten – just like you – and since then I’ve been lumbered.
Émile Ajar > Paul Pavlovich > Romain Gary, Pseudo
These are the first lines from a novel titled Pseudo (translated: Hocus Bogus), written in 1976 by French author Émile Ajar, drawing only modest attention during the time. This novel could be taken as pseudo-autobiographical writing by Émile Ajar. Pseudo was his third work, which was published a year after prix Goncourt winning The Life Before Us. Émile Ajar was Romain Gary’s pseudonym. For Gary, this was the second time to win a prize that could not be won twice. With increased media attention Gary asked his cousin Paul Pavlowitch to impersonate Émile Ajar. Pseudo is a novel written by Romain Gary, impersonating Paul Pavlowitch, in order to prove that Paul Pavlowitch was Émile Ajar, and it worked, but the exhibition does not speak of that.
This exhibition does not speak the language we understand, similarly to the protagonist of the novel Pseudo, who tries to avoid any connection to the context. The exhibition does not speak English, “but not well enough”. We still comprehend something, or at least apprehend, even if there is no speaking taking place.
Of course straightforwardness does not exist here. There is nothing given, nothing stated, except for this very thing here. But here one can sense universality, topicality as well as obscurity; the construction of parallel realities, which might seem more real than everyday or identically lukewarm; stagings, portraits and renditions caught in between graveness and absurdity, that are playful and rigorously composed at the same time; things that do not accommodate, that are searching for an exit, that wish to detach themselves, that would fit elsewhere; an exhibition that is pseudo, and tries to be a whole, while at least consisting of wholes.
Curator: Marten Esko
Graphic design: Allan Appelberg
Supporters: Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Estonian Ministry of Culture, Draka Keila Cables AS
More info:
www.ekkm.ee
info@ekkm.ee
www.facebook.com/ekkmtallinn/