THINK SPACE - MONEY [The Echo of Nothing]

After two successful cycles, Zagreb Society of Architects organized the third edition of international series of concept based architectural competitions entitled Think Space. Insofar, the programme hosted a number of established architects and curators and it continues to re-think space in the 2013|2014 season.

The new theme Think Space | MONEY [The Echo of Nothing] was devised by Ethel Baraona Pohl and César Reyes Nájera of dpr-barcelona, architects, writers, editors, publishers, bloggers and guest curators of the third cycle.

Throughout the new season of competitions and papers, Think Space will be looking for pioneering works at the intersection of architecture, sociology, economics, programming and marketing that radically challenge the fundamental spatial, social and urban relation based on capitalism. The competitions and Call for Papers will focus on territories, environment, culture and society through MONEY lenses, as observed by architects and other visual artists and professionals.

Jurors of the competitions are.-
 

David Garcia | Territories.
Pedro Gadanho | Culture & Society.
Keller Easterling | Environment.

The first competition of the cycle, currently open for submissions.

MONEY | Territories Competition | MAGNETIC NORTH, the Arctic lands devised by David Garcia of MAP Architects is seeking for a design proposal that tackles the present economic and territorial challenges in the present and future of the Arctic lands.

Early Bird deadline.- November 5th 2013.
Submission deadline.- November 15th  2013.

CYCLE THEME "MONEY" 2013 | 2014.

MONEY | Territories.

MONEY has been one of the main issues [if not the most important] to define the creation of territories and space. Borders created for economical purposes and financial markets in many ways are guiding how cities evolve. The new virtual territories created by economic exchange between rich and poor countries, creating new economic spaces at the same time than dissolving other ones somehow makes difficult to understand how money moves from one place to another place and envision the currency's relationship to the production of space.

In this context we can also mention local exchange trading systems which emerged on the basis “from the community for the community”. As its easy to understand how money and currency drives the expansion of empires and states and how new local currencies are trying to avoid the idea of power and control always related with traditional economic models.

The relationship between countries basically depends on debt: creditor/debtor relation. Territorial claims in the Arctic, invisible economic flows such as immigration, free ports, free economic zones, and tax havens can be part of this topic.

Keywords: Arctic claims, free-ports, borders, currency, space, local currency, unclaimed money, tax havens.

MONEY | Culture.

Now, there is a need for a redefinition of the practice insofar as the financial crisis has an effect of questioning our social and cultural approach. Architects, designers and artists are conscious again of their political implication and how they can use this knowledge to create a disruptive new reality, far away from the established in the past recent years. The subversion of market values and the renewed interestin theraison d'être of different cultural projects can be helpful to define a new viewpoint, based in our current social contradictions but at the same time with the fascinating possibility of [re]constructing the system from the basis.

How this changes affect daily cultural life in our cities? How are cities and citizens adapting these new economic models and reacting to the constant changes we’re living?

MONEY deals with society by transforming the notion of collectivity and connectivity among other issues. The relationship between money and society is strong; and clearly it also deals with education and the way we exchange knowledge.  The emergence of new tools as MOOCs, on-line courses, etc. allow free access to education in order to have so-called “better societies”, but what have when also this new ways of learning and exchanging are part of a bigger monopoly? Are we repeating the same old models with new names?
 

Keywords: Social money, culture, bitcoin, education, informal exchange, technology.

MONEY | Environment.

Alain Pilote wrote on an article published in 1994 that reality – the environment – is sacrificed for the symbol – money. And what about all the artificial needs created for the sole purpose of keeping people employed? What about all the paper work and red tape that requires the need for a lot of people, packed in office buildings? What about goods manufactured in order to last as short as possible, in the aim of selling more of them? All that leads to the useless waste and destruction of the natural environment.

Searching alternatives to the ongoing capitalist system, it’s impossible no to think on how it leads and affects environmental issues. Oil energy, water and waste are conducted by economical forces beyond its geopolitical, social, economic and infrastructural implications. The cycle of extraction, production and recycling has demonstrated to be a failed system and some of the worst environmental disasters in the past years are related with industrial models and the micro-politics of economic power.

At this point and with the access to information and digital tools, the response to environmental issues have reached the masses to enable new models, ideas and innovative proposals. Thus, it’s worth to think which can be the architectural response to the emerging conditions presented by climate-changed terrains?

Keywords: Waste, water, ships graveyards, environment, post-oil city, environmental disasters.