Friday Sessions London

Artist/architect Can Altay has invited spatial practitioners Celine Condorelli, Marcus Miessen and Gil Doron to continue a discussion that started during the “Architecture as Initative” Symposium at the Architectural Association earlier this month, where the active role of architecture within dynamic and political urban setting, and issues of participation were high on the agenda.

“ The topic is 'setting a setting'. I’m currently thinking about the question of a more open-ended practice; whether its possible to position oneself as a generator of some sort of setting, but not exercising complete control over and acknowledging/promoting unforeseen possibilities. Certain practices in the field of contemporary art have been explicitly dwelling on issues of the social realm, inter-human relations, and the socio-political for some decades now. The “relational” aspects of artistic practices have come to be ever more evident in becoming moments or acts that not only question but ‘make happen’, taking sociality and spatiality to their core and acting as catalysts of relations; between the work and people, between people and people, and between people and space. What I have in mind for my research in terms of settings is somewhat restricted, but it can as well be any setting, any space, any spatial practice…”

IF-[ untitled ] architects [Martha Giannakopoulou, Annika Grafweg, Seki Hirano] will present and discuss the role of the architect within an international development and emergency relief sector, relating to their most recent commissions from Architects for Aid and Oxfam GB.

The presentation will include the design and construction of a new school building in India; and the facilitation of a participatory framework for planning a sustainable young people’s village.
They will also show their work as a shelter coordinator for the reconstruction of Tsunami emergency response program in Indonesia.

IF-[ untitled ] architects is a London and Athens based studio established in 2003 who are active in various architectural and participation lead projects within the international development and the private sector.

For more information visit www.if-untitled.com

An informal talk centred on a recent piece 'Junkspace', created and premiered at IRCAM in Paris in 2006. The piece explores different concepts related to form as it is conceived of in traditional musical structure and the possibilities of extending it through architectural processes and theory.



Following an apprenticeship as a sound engineer in New York in 1995, Sam Britton studied architecture at the Architectural Association from 1996 to 1999 where he received his RIBA Part 1 certification.

He began writing electronic music in 1996 in which he is almost entirely self taught. Since 1997 he has recorded and released music for a number of independent electronic music labels in the UK and the US (Output Recordings, Temporary Residence, Domino and The Leaf Label) to significant critical acclaim and continues to perform as 'Icarus' (with Ollie Bown) all over Europe.

In 2005/6 he completed a masters course in electronic music and composition at IRCAM in Paris. His composition work at IRCAM was overseen by composer Philippe Leroux and he attended master classes with Brian Ferneyhough, Hugues Dufourt, Joshua Fineberg and Yan Maresz. His composition 'Junkspace' for banjo and electronics was highly commended and premiered during the 2006 artistic season at IRCAM.

Since returning to London he has been actively involved in fostering new audiences for electro-acoustic music, notably through 'Not Applicable', the organisation he co-founded in 2002 with Ollie Bown. Recent work has centered around new techniques for electro-acoustic improvisation and has included performances with Evan Parker, George Lewis, Diemo Schwarz, Lothar Ohlmeier and Tom Arthurs.

Currently he is focusing on writing a new piece for string quartet and electronics and developing work with many diverse instrumentalists, continuing to fuse his approach to electronic music with an instrumental tradition in the pursuit of new avenues for compositional technique and musical perception.

Thanks to Doina and Constantin from aaa architecs to allow us an insight into the development and decission making processes of some of their projects. The term Pragmatist Imagination comes to mind to describe their political pragmatic approach that believes in the possibility to improve things whilst remaining informal and playful.

We wanted to take this opportunity to briefly thank Pictoplasma and Lars Denicke to make his way over to London for last Friday's session.
The evening attracted a mix of people with some being very familiar to the subject of 'character design' and others only attracted by curiousity. Lars is one of the two founders of Pictoplasma, based in Berlin, and together with his business associate, Peter they were one of the first to recognise and proclaim the development of a new species of characters that surmount cultural barriers and celebrate the possibilities of a universal language. If people were wondering before they arrived at last Friday's talk, with his presentation about Pictoplasma's work and the 2- and 3 dimensional characters becoming animated and starting to inhabit our cities with their own lives, Lars raised astonishment even further. The question about the future of 'characters', should they be (fully) commercialised, as in the instance of the ads for Opel/Vauxhaul, or should they return to their initial 2-dimensional flatness, remains to be explored by Pictoplasma and all the character lovers and their community.

Special thanks to the colourful characters and the numerous children who turned this into a really lively Friday session.

Doina Petrescu and Constantin Petcou will present and discuss the work of atelier d’architecture autogérée (aaa) in Paris. She is also a lecturer in architecture at the University of Sheffield and a co editor of the recently published "Architecture&Participation" book.

" The atelier d’architecture autogérée / studio of self-managed architecture (aaa) is a collective platform which conducts actions and research concerning urban mutations and cultural, social and political emerging practices in the contemporary city. The interdisciplinary network was founded in 2001 in Paris by architects, artists, students, researchers, unemployed persons, activists and residents.
We develop urban tactics to accompany micro-processes and enable rifts within the standardised urban contexts, which are regulated by private economic interests or centralised policies. These policies are incompatible with the global, informal and multicultural mobilities that characterise the present-day metropolis. We encourage the re-appropriation of derelict spaces and the creation of new forms of urbanity by local residents through reversible designs and lived everyday practices, which make use of their skills and knowledge. These spaces conserve a potential of accessibility and experimentation by resisting the increasing control of the urban context.
Our approach involves not only critical analysis but also the process of making and acting through shared competencies and collaborations. We valorise the position of the resident/user as political condition
and develop tools cooperatively to re-territorialise their spaces of proximity and empower their decisions and actions within the city. These tools include among others trans-local networks, catalyst processes, nomad architectures, self-managed spaces and platforms for cultural production.
A “self-managed architecture” provokes assemblages and networks of individuals, desires and different manners of making. It is a relational practice, which is not always consensual but at times conflictual, and it is the role of the architect to locate confrontations and accompany subjective productions. Such an architecture does not correspond to a liberal practice but asks for new forms of association and collaboration, based on exchange and reciprocity.
Our architecture is simultaneously political and poetic as it aims above all to “create relationships between worlds”.

Animated presentation by Pictoplasma partner, Lars Denicke from Berlin, followed by public works Xmas Drinks from 8 pm onwards.

Starting in 1999, Pictoplasma has archived and stimulated the activities of character design around the globe. By playfully sampling and remixing visual codes, contemporary character design has redefined the aesthetic standards of visual communication worldwide.

It is Pictoplasma's aim to foster an understanding of this phenomenon as a new era of figurative expression. Through pictorial encyclopaedias, exhibitions, online archives and festivals, Pictoplasma brings together artists and designers from all over the world, encouraging experimentation and pushing the development of this new visual language. Recently, the 2nd Pictoplasma Conference brought together designers and artists from around the world in Berlin to "Get into Character". In a collaboration of character designers, costume designers, dancers and visual artists, the relation of image and body has been brought to issue in a fresh way.

For more information please visit www.pictoplasma.com.