Future Encounters
Amsterdam-Milan 2022
Pilot project of HU-HA (Human Habitat)
Vision:
I consider the city, our Human Habitat : A product that is artificial and at the same time is a natural result of our evolution. The discipline of Architecture and urbanism approaches urban transformation as an economical and efficient process. However, I believe in the use of explorative imagination in order to produce a different type of project to transform the city.
Idea: If we want to live in a healthy environment we should consider what makes us feel good in the city. How do we feel in the city? How does the city experience our presence? Each singular human feeling influences a certain behaviour and when performed in collectivity becomes a practice: an activity that constitutes the environment. Meet, resist, reproduce, move, learn, and believe; These are some of the most important practices that make us humans and that we will keep performing in the future in our habitat, but how? How can these predictions affect and change the city? By reflecting on each of them, I intend to elaborate and represent the way we are going to perform these practices in the future. Encountering is the chosen practice for the pilot project in 2022.
“The city should be an emotional and sensitive space where feelings, behaviours and practices resonates in every corner, street and typology of space for interaction and cultural exchange” Methodology: I believe that visual art can be a driver for changing the city.Images are mediums that can be understood by many different recipients and can communicate an idea, a vision, and a spatial practical project.The project’s methodology consists of visualising a design proposal by manipulating an image that narrates emotional, physical, and cultural values. Exploring spatial possibilities by the act of drawing, allow more imagination to flow in the construction of an ideal urban space for encountering.
Milano Navigli
Amsterdam Marineterrein
Process: The process consists of the alternation of imagination and reality, artist isolation, and participation in a constant loop (see image). Alternating isolation and participation are fundamental for building a vision that is at the same time personal and collective.
The first phase of the process consists of a first exploration with a selected public. The use of the Imaginarium allow total freedom in imagining the future of the Human practice of encountering. In a second phase, the isolation of the artistic practice produces a series of paintings that I consider questions about the human status. Those works help the participatory workshops of the third phase. The paintings suggested to the audience new perspectives to observe the city as a place to meet. The workshops consist of drawing sessions (individual and collective) of the future vision of a neighbourhood (Marineterrein, Amsterdam, Navigli district, Milan) The final and fourth phase is when all the ingredients come together for the elaboration of a spatial and emotional proposal for the city. An image that explores the needs and wishes of the people with the artist's vision.
Perspective(s): The aim of the project is to influence designers, citizens, stakeholders, and decision-makers in the initial phase of an urban transformation. A presentation for the public is necessary. An institution or a public space can amplify the impact that such a project can produce in the formalization of it. After presenting the process and outcome, an involvement as consultancy to strategic design can be applied, and new workshops can be made for the continuation of the explorative design. Finally a comparison of the two tested location can be elaborated, by organizing an exhibition and a publicaiton.
Outcome: The outcome is an imaginative design, an urban vision is explained with several images, the whole process of imagination and transformation. The images express at the same time, an interpretation of the practice of encountering and an urban vision for the future. In fact, the outcomes are artistic and architectural. On one hand, the images can be considered artworks and be shown as paintings and illustrations.On the other hand, the final exploration and the workshops constitute an important part of a philosophical and human consideration of the city. Those can be shown as the creative phase of the urban project, capable of implementing decisions processes, and influencing designers.
Status projects:
Amsterdam Marineterrein: concluded, presented, exhibited, published Milano Navigli : third phase, searching for partners, institutions, art residencies, exhibition and publishing platform