CONSTELLATION.S presents a compilation of individual and collective initiatives that, trying to respond to today's transformations and changing conditions suggest new perspectives for the creation of future cities capables of responding to tomorrow's challenges. In response to fear, identitarian closure and extremism, CONSTELLATION.s intends to use critical thinking to understand the world we live in, offering examples of creativity and of how ordinary people are inventing their daily lives.
In these case we are focusing on BUREAU A contribution, which is centered on the exceptional proto-hippie community os Monte Verita and on how Architecture can incorporate the concept of family, love or the connection to nature to the design process.
Description of the project of BUREAU A
The exhibition space is a special place in the practice of architecture. It is a public space where an interested population is diluted in an environment designed, made, vehicle of tought, of debates, or of simple architecture presentations to discover. Today neglected by architectural culture, it was crucial at other times. Italy postwar made exhibition spaces and museums and places of cultural progress and activism avant-garde thanks to a group of architects and architectural historians for whom the design of exhibitions far exceeds the interest they may have to construct buildings.
Education through art is, in those years, a key program for major architects such as Franco Albini, BBPR, or Ignazio Gardella Giovanni Michelucci, under the protection of theorists Giulio Carlo Argan and Bruno Zevi. The Museum is, for this community of designers involved, the necesary school for a new Italy to be able to rise from the ashes of fascism.
The vocation of museums as public spaces has evolved since the 1950s, taking a more commercial turn. No other fact remains but the popular vocation which has probably increased, the Palais de Tokyo is an excellent example art venue became public square, as well as the Place des Vosges.
In the middle of the group of micro-phenomena which the Bordeaux exhibition CONSTELLATION.S wants to make justice for, it seems appropriate to consider the exhibition space as a goal in favour of architectural practice.
If, in the words of the exhibition "it is important to put culture and knowledge at the heart of the issues of citizenship and democracy to illuminate the future of our societies," CONSTELLATION.S space must become the time of exposure, instead of critical observation. It is therefore not to show documents with projects elsewhere, highlighting the practice of architects represented in the exhibition but to understand exposure as embodied reflection, realize visions on the state of the world with respect of architecture tools.
In this context, presenting a research on the utopian community of Monte Verita seems appropriate. This community space, actually quite little known, is an exception in Swiss history. In the early 20th century, a proto-hippie population moves and lives in the hills of Ascona in Ticino, producing an incredible series of creative and revolutionary thoughts on love, the concept of family, education, anarchy, food, our connection to nature, and the role and practice of art.
Research produced by BUREAU A takes three distinct forms together in an installation: an exploration of architectural objects and artifacts made by the community, a publication linking these objects with the landscape of Monte Verita as it exists today and finally a fountain accompanied by a limited series of furniture inspired directly on Monte Verita's archive documents .
The installation aims to raise profound questions - even if presented in a playful way - on practice and participation of architects in a capitalist society deeply blurring more and more challenges and goals of creative practices.
