new media center_kuda.org

* micropolitics *: From the Venice Biennale to the Tirana Biennale - fire and other burning issues, Ana Džokić and Marc Neelen (STEALTH.unlimited)

Wednesday, Mar 10, 2010, at 7 p.m.
Miroslav Kraljević Gallery, Šubićeva 29, Zagreb

At the Venice Biennale of Architecture in 2008, STEALTH.unlimited presented himself as co-curator of the Dutch Pavilion with the project 'ARCHIPHOENIX - Faculties of Architecture'. Their response to the framework theme ‘There: Architecture Beyond Construction’ was prompted by the recent fire of the Faculty of Architecture in Delft. Instead of contemplating within the framework of the exhibition, the Dutch Pavilion has been transformed into a research space and a platform for discussion with a focus on architectural colleges, and through multiple functions in terms of capacity, possibilities, and capabilities. Over the course of a week, the authors of the project took the opportunity to engage a wide network of architects and other experts in direct exchange, either as speakers, moderators or through interviews. The layout of the pavilion space changed daily to accommodate a range of activities, an on-site video edited, and a book production unit. While the pavilion acted as a temporary ‘school’, the content produced aimed to become an imaginary curriculum for architecture, beyond the division into education and practice.

A year later, in the fall of 2009, STEALTH curated one of three episodes of the International Biennial of Contemporary Art in Tirana (T.I.C.A.B). In an attempt to critically respond to Tirana's current development - marked by 'wild' urbanization and rapid capital investment and positioned on the horizon of a neoliberal context - the fourth edition of the biennial has moved from the visual arts to architecture and urbanization. Including architects, artists, cultural workers, activists, and journalists from the Western Balkans and the wider global context, the second episode of the biennial examined the shortcomings stemming from the highly individualized and profit-driven development of modern cities. the engagement of citizens regarding the possible future of our cities also contributes to other contributions.

Ana Dzokic and Marc Neelen have been collaborating on STEALTH.unlimited, a project between Belgrade and Rotterdam since 2009. STEALTH deals with shaping opportunities in places where different fields of research meet and mobilizes thinking about possible futures of the city. In their work, changes in perspective are key - from visual culture, urban research, spatial interventions, to cultural activism. By creating works that can take the form of a specific intervention in physical space, opportunities for the exchange of knowledge, but also software, they produce trial conditions for the division of the authorization of urban space and culture.

organizers: [BLOK] - Local base for refreshing culture & DeLVe | Institute for Duration, Place, and Variables

[BLOCK]
Ilica 103 | 10,000 Zagreb HR
t. +385 91 2 56 56 56
e. info@urbanfestival.hr
http://www.mikropolitike.org

DeLVe @ G-MK
Šubićeva 29 | 10,000 Zagreb HR
t. +385 1 45 92 696
e. info@g-mk.hr
http://www.g-mk.hr

project supported by: Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, Office for Education, Culture and Sports of the City of Zagreb

The series of lectures on Micropolitics is part of the project THE ART OF URBAN INTERVENTION which is realized through the cooperation of <rotor> association for contemporary art / Graz, University of JE Purkyne / Usti nad Labem, [BLOK] - Local base for cultural refreshment / Zagreb, The Blue House Foundation / Amsterdam, Institute of Contemporary Art / Sofia and NABA - New Academy of Fine Arts / Milan.

The ART OF URBAN INTERVENTION project is supported by the Culture Program of the European Union.