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