Dear Architects… / call

Dear Architects… call for contributions

Brno Gallery of Architecture 13.–27. 6. 2017

The task of architects and urbanists is to articulate collective desires and critically concern with them. They have tools to determine the development and use of settlements and landscape. With the increasing complexity of planning of the built environment, architects often restricted to a mere implementation of normative, formal or economic demands and resigned to question them or to critically comment societal issues related to city planning. Most architects forgot the ethics of architectural practice and so undermined the potential of design and planning to contribute to an improvement of public life.

These days lay huge claim to the profession of an architect. Of course, there are public issues which are part of architects’ agenda – such as the city architect, amendment of building law, new masterplans, relation of architecture and conservation… Yet I think, that some current challenges, which we, as a society, face, are omitted by a majority of Czech architects and urbanists.

The right to the city, democratic planning and public participation, privatisation and commercialization of public space, regulation of (use of) public space, gentrification, ghettoization, social housing act, marketing and competitiveness of cities, sustainability and so on.

These issues are abroad commonly part of discussions – between architect and other professions – and not only on the academic level.

According to you, what role should architects play in the current society? Do you think, that their task is to focus on the quality of built environment in terms of aesthetics and engineering, or would you expect them to express their critical opinion? What are the things we should be talking about and we are not talking about?

The exhibition “Dear architects…” will take place in the Gallery of Architecture Brno from 13 till 27 June 2017. The basis will be utterances by the approached professionals – working in the field of architecture and urbanism, but also in (social) geography, (urban) sociology, anthropology, political sciences, arts, economics, in politics and or developer sphere. Join and give your opinion! Part of the exhibition will be also an accompanying program (presentations, discussion). By options, we want to work further with the collected material – travelling exhibition, publication etc.

The deadline for your possible contribution for the project “Dear architects…” is 26 Mai 2017, optionally with one of the following formats: »» text – max 3 pages of A4 format (max 1000 words), in the format .doc/.docx/.pages/.odt/.pdf, ideally graphically adjusted »» audio recording – max 5 minutes, in the format .wma/.mp3, ideally edited into the final form »» video recording – max 7 minutes, in the format .avi/.mp4, in HD resolution, landscape orientation, ideally edited into the final form »» drawings or model – we would discuss the loan individually Your utterance will be viewed as an original artefact and will be exhibited in a way, which you deliver (at most, I would just cut out silence etc.).

Part of the exhibition will be a reader’s corner with a library filled with related literature. Your contribution should include also a book (possibly more books), which you consider relevant to the topic and which you would be willing to lend us. Each book will be attached with a label with your name and a short comment, why you think this book is important. We can discuss the handover individually and we would give you the back after finishing the exhibition.

Please let me know as soon as possible whether you want to participate, and if yes, which format do you consider and whether you can lend us a book. In case you have any questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me on this email or a bellow written phone number.

Thank you for considering to participate and I am looking forward to the potential collaboration.

Karolína Plášková I am an architect, urbanist, freelance curator and social designer based in Brno and in Vienna. I am interested in the enjambments of architecture and urbanism and their relation to social sciences and art, like the enjambments of social sciences and arts to architecture and urbanism. Through interdisciplinary collaboration on different projects, we attempt to raise awareness of current (hidden) problems in the intersection of urbanism, art and social sciences and react to them using artistic strategies. plan@galeriearchitektury.cz; karolina.plaskova@gmail.com +420 731249543; +43 681 10504254

© Karolína Plášková, April 2017