Valencia debates - shear energy

In three days in November we lectured and debated in Valencia. This gallery of participants shows the energy and engagement of the artists, architects, designers, researchers and students. In the round-table discussions we had Maria Helstrøm Reimert between us translating from Spanish to Scandinavian – a top performance. The discussion continued into the nights.

going south x 2

On our way to lecture on "Appearing and Disappearing Landscapes" in Valencia, we are "hijacked" to give a lecture at ETSAM in Madrid. The title of this lecture is a light reference to Eduardo Bru’s book "Coming from the South". We read this book at the Europan Forum in Cordoba some years ago, and it informed us then.
We will elaborate on some of our findings seeing our projects as touchstones in the Nordic landscape. At the Europan Forum in Oslo KED was involved in series of discussions on the tensions in Spain, Portugal et al.So being present in Spain today must be quite an experience. Belinda Tato and Ecosistema Urbano from Madrid are now in Hamar working for two months, in direct dialogue with the people in Hamar, with the project Dream Hamar. We find this Spanish/Norwegian interchange really enlightening. Angel Borrego Cubero, professor at ETSAM, was interviewed by Bryan Farrel in May under the title "The beauty and vision of Spain’s "revolution". Here he talks about the role of young architects in the new Spanish realities.
We really look forward to our Spanish journey.

III CONGRESO INTERNACIONAL ARTE Y ENTORNO

Knut Eirik and Kjerstin are giving the opening Lecture at the 3rd International Conference on Art and Environment at the Art and Environment Research Centre (CIAE), Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) 16th of November.

North latitude: Ethics and aestethics of living 16 17 18 nov 2011:
“We understand that a society is projected towards the future in accordance with its own traditions, yet there is strong confrontation with the new realities that value the citizen, the environment or sustainability. That is why this conference which focuses its attention on environments in certain environments of the Nordic Council (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway or Iceland). The capitals of these countries are world leaders in terms of environmental culture. Committed to a set of values, they are examples of societies facing the challenges that lie ahead and can provide us with interesting strategies stemming from their proven experience.”

3 days with, lectures, paper readings and round table conversations + warm weather and long nights! We are really looking forward to meet the organizers, mediators, students and the other lecturers:
Maria Hellström Reimer (Malmø) A visual artist and professor in design theory at Malmö University, School of Arts and Communication. Tone Lindheim (Oslo) Landscape architect, partner in Bjorbekk & Lindheim landscape architects. Luis Navarro (Valencia) Writer and promoter of the 90s underground collective for aesthetic action known as Industrias Mikuerpo and the fanzine, Amano, and coordinator for the independent publisher Literatura Gris, committed to the recovery of the situacionista legacy and formed part of Maldeojo, a collective of critical thinkers. Fernando Gaja i Díaz (Valencia) Urban planner and Senior Lecturer in Urbanism and Regional Planning at the Department of Urbanism (UPV). Amador Fernández-Savater  (Madrid) Independent researcher and engaged thinker. Perhaps the label that best defines him is editor as his thoughts and energies are directed toward thinking processes: the challenge of registering, synthesising, coordinating and communicating fragments of discourse.  Boke Bazán (Valencia) Senior Lecturer in the Master’s Programme in Design and Illustration at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Valencia, (UPV) and in Master’s Programme in Design Engineering at Valencia’s ESET school (Universidad CEU).Peret; Pedro Torrent (Barcelona): He works in graphic design, illustration, photography, sculpture and stage design. He has held 16 individual exhibitions (Spain, France, Japan, and México) and about one hundred collective ones in 24 countries. Luis Eslava Studio (Valencia) Luis Eslava and Lorena Sauras “gear their studio towards the creation of global projects, product design and spatial design.”

Graduation Works // guest blogger

April and spring mark the termination of one cycle and the start of a new school year in Japan. During March, the graduation projects of architecture students from the Tohoku region were exhibited in the Sendai Mediatheque (by Toyo Ito). This was an incredible opportunity to view and possibly understand what notions architecture in Japan bases itself on: how do the students approach architecture, how is architecture even defined, in what directions do the professors push, how does the process unfold from a fragile idea into a material reality? I could not help to but to be touched by the minute level of the models, as expected. Some were almost like miniature puppet-houses. For instance, one could take out a book in a bookshelf in a model in 1:200. I was amazed by the scale of some projects, calling to mind less fortune directions of architectural history. Nevertheless, it was impressive how the most challenging shapes were worked in detail and made overall functioning spaces. On a superficial level I would say that there is a general "style" that outlines itself. The likes of SANAA, Sou Fujimoto, Junya Ishigami, Atelier Bow Wow or Tezuka come to mind in the spatial expressions, the shapes and materials. Still, the most inspiring and impressive feature, in my opinion, is the sensitive ambition that fuel these graduation works. It seems like the Japanese students are looking for a "new nature", in the words of Ryue Nishizawa. They are not afraid of searching for the ways in which contemporary life is defined and architecture by extension. They innovate. Coming from a French school this is an aspiration I have never been encouraged to pursue. Certainly, there are some doubtful points: the negation of the context, houses without roofs and walls that seem to defy all laws of gravity. However, is not a part of the architectural education to experiment and to question conventions? How else can we move towards an architecture more in sync with our time? This exhibition was a very pleasurable and inspiring experience. Unfortunately, due to copy right issues I cannot post any pictures that directly depict projects. Please enjoy the peek.

Protective Structures // guest blogger

Tandi Reason Dahl is studying architecture at Sendai university this year, she is also our guest blogger, We're looking forward to see more from her!

The pictures that follow are from gardens in Kyoto and Sendai. Much has been said about the Japanese garden, I can only add these photos as a token of my admiration for the absolute care and beauty invested in something as seemingly banal as a winter protection.

Arctic Frontiers 2010

Tromsø-24-29 January 2010
Arctic Frontiers policy section will be broadcast live via the internet in English and Russian.
Click here to view the full schedule and links.

My favorite presentations:
wednesday 27.2.

The Principles and Practices of Inuit Governance Gary N. Wilson Department of Political Science, University of Northern British Columbia

Oil and Gas DevelopmentsCurse or Blessing for Community Sustainability? The Relationship between Regional Authorities and theOil and Gas IndustryPeter R. Sinclair Memorial University and University of Waterloo, Canada