Make Yourself at Home
At the Crossroads of Territory and Subjectivity: Contemporary Socio-Spatial Practices and Emergent Cultural Structures from São Paulo
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Sofia Steinvorth
Taking São Paulo as its territory of enquiry, the paper discusses two collective projects from the last ten years: Lanchonete.org (2014-) and Galeria Reocupa (2018-). Through a comparative approach, the projects' deployed creative strategies and their programmes will be analysed with a special focus on their potential to lead to the development of a sense of place within urban areas characterised by neoliberal urbanism and the depletion of public space. Localised in São Paulo's city centre, the projects develop between art and activism, grounding their ideas on urgent housing and food security issues, thus leading to a renewed conversation about the right to the city (Lefebvre) and further highlighting a present-day urban dispute that is not only about space, but about narrative (Said). As such, the paper analyses both projects' particular ways of collectively organising cultural infrastructure in the city and encourages thinking about the different ways in which artists can be allies by speaking directly to an increasingly tense urban environment.
Victorian Colonial Spaces and Aristocratic Places : White Colony and Country House Hospitality View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Julie Codell
In two series in the 1880s, the Magazine of Art visually endorsed a relationship by contiguity between two entities, colonial landscape space in the white colonies and privileged English places in country homes, a para-heritage industry series. Through issues of perspective, boundaries, filled or empty spaces, scale and the material page, the magazine’s two series proposed to determine where culture resided, who controlled nature, and the hospitality of these two extreme domestic spheres to entire Britons to visit both of them. Pairing colonial space and English aristocratic place through specifics of habitability, imperial and national inscriptions on the picturesque and the sublime, the magazine presented aristocratic country homes as a national heritage for everyone and “wild” colonial landscape as tamed and inviting through shared anti-urban and anti-modernist nostalgic values. I argue that the visual organization of country houses and white colonies’ images and their texts independently and in conjunction were joined through the magazine’s illusion of its presumed aesthetic “neutrality” and service as offering these sites to the general public for consumption, travel and sociability. The magazine could deploy its cultural authority to represent these two spaces as unified and representative of the nation to stabilize these places’ dynamic social relations and erase their classed and colonial histories by invoking aesthetic principles: vast colonial landscapes (sublime) that symbolized domination of nature (including indigenous peoples) and country houses (picturesque) whose interiors’ prolific objets d’art symbolized accumulated English culture.
Hospitality and the City: Marketing Berlin
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Ulrike Zitzlsperger
Berlin's history is characterized by ruptures and divisions throughout time. Nonetheless, since the city became the capital of the Kaiserreich in 1871, advertising for tourists has been an important economic factor for the metropolis. Despite its conflicted history and across democratic republics and dictatorial regimes, Berlin's attempts to attract visitors by means of inclusive posters, catchy slogans and colourful brochures have been characterized by variations on being a hospitable city for all most of the time. This paper traces a range of examples across the twentieth century, analysing approaches to being a welcoming metropolis and considering, when such attempts backfired.
An Analysis of Architectural Projects Driven By Hospitality Design Thinking: A Detailed Examination
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Arsalan Mirsadraei, Glenn NP Nowak
This analysis explores architectural projects, influenced by hospitality design thinking. Emphasizing the importance of collaborative dialogue throughout the design process, the focus extends beyond mere archetypes of specific structures like wineries or hotels. Instead, this proposal highlights the value of shared conversations, where diverse perspectives and mentorship create an environment of curiosity and support. These projects are not just about learning to design specific types of buildings. They emerge from a process of radical openness, allowing for mutual exploration and artistic innovation. Through open, supportive, and curiosity-driven mentorship, these architectural projects exemplify how collaborative creativity can lead to groundbreaking design solutions. This radical openness ensures that each project uniquely reflects shared ideas and mutual inspiration, moving away from standardized design approaches. The proposal underscores the transformative potential of hospitality design thinking in architecture. It demonstrates how integrating hospitable practices into the design process fosters innovation and artistic excellence. By showcasing projects developed through this approach, the analysis offers valuable insights into the dynamic relationship between architecture and hospitality. Moreover, it advocates for a design ethos that prioritizes collaboration, openness, and the shared exploration of artistic possibilities. The emphasis on hospitable curiosity and support throughout the design process not only enhances the quality of the architectural outcomes but also enriches the professional growth and creative development of all involved. By embracing these principles, architects can create spaces that are not only functional and aesthetically pleasing but also deeply resonant with the spirit of hospitality, fostering environments that welcome and inspire.
Colour Makes the Fabric of My Immigration Experience
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Sara Carneholm
I investigate how immigrants use creativity and making to establish home and express their identity. This is explored through the interplay between natural and urban environments, focusing on the conflicts and connections between them. My research investigates how language and creative practices, particularly printmaking, textile dyeing, and photography, can foster a sense of belonging in urban settings, especially as a non-native English speaker. Rooted in my lived experience of feeling othered by people yet embraced by nature, my work reflects on identity, history, culture, and tradition. In 1973 my family moved from southern Sweden to the outer northeast archipelago of the Åland Islands, Finland to the remote island community of Brändö. My mum joined the Martaföreningen (the Women's Society) where they were weaving rag rugs as per tradition in Finland. She had no creative education but approached weaving in her own way, working with colours and patterns in a non-traditional manner. Old methods in combination with new thinking around creativity, highly unusual in the isolated community. One of the rugs my mum made now lives with me in East London and forms a constant reminder of the importance of making and the power of colour as resilience. Working with natural pigments sourced from local and past environments, I weave together personal and collective narratives to express the layered complexities of belonging and placemaking. This research translates the immigrant experience through the shared languages of visual narratives, material outcomes and tactility.
