BEYOND MEDIA

The symposium, that takes place during the BEYOND MEDIA festival and is curated by Pietro Valle, explores the theme VISIONS. It investigates imagination and visionariety in six thematic areas: architecture, art, literature, the global city, communication and construction techniques. For each of them there is a round table discussion with three or four guests and a moderator. A multidisciplinary approach with international guests will investigate how visions take shape in the contemporary world and if they are stilll able to offer a different view of reality.

The discussions and the speakers are:

Thursday July 9

3:30 pm

1) Architecture, vision and power
Some large scale architectural projects have the power to envision a possible future or an alternative environment. At the same time, their designers rely on a economic-political power that commissions these structures and make them buildable. What is the degree of freedom that a contemporary designer can afford in carrying forward visions if he/she wants to see them translated into reality? What is the relationship between architectural imagination and consensus strategies imposed by an increasingly aggressive advanced capitalism?

Speakers:
Pier Vittorio Aureli, Felicity Scott, Peter Wilson, Francisco Sanin (moderator)

Friday July 10

3:30 pm

2) Writing and vision, between reality and fiction
One of narrative historic function has been to describe imaginary worlds, allowing the readers to envision them in their own personal way. In the age of global communication we can access millions of data without checking their source and therefore their truthfulness. Are we on the verge of fundamental changes in the relationship between reality and imagination, truth and fiction, concreteness and theory? In view of this transformation, what could be the role of writing in offering alternative visions of the contemporary world?

Speakers:
Piero Frassinelli, Pedro Gadanho, Ruggero Pierantoni, Tommaso Pincio,
Stefano Catucci (moderator)

6:00 pm

3) Visions of the global city
The model of the third millennium city has left behind the heritage of twentieth century social utopias. How can we conceive, imagine or create a critical space that encompasses all the recent social changes of the global cities? Can we directly intervene in these cities or their design has to overcome existing strategies to project itself in a whole new model, not yet conceived?

Speakers:
Marco d'Eramo, Lars Krückeberg, Paul Polak, Peter Lang (moderator)

Saturday July 11

3:30 pm

4) Art vision and the transformation of signs
Contemporary art can offer visions that modify our perception of everyday reality. What is the space of art between existence and imagination in the contemporary world? If art can envision alternative realities, how could they be interpreted and translated in real, public space? If art has the power to transform existing signs, what role could it have, among other media, in proposing new languages?

Speakers:
Tony Fretton, Alberto Garutti, Martin Rein-Cano, Pietro Valle (moderator)

6:00 pm

5) Vision and communication, new interactive models
Communication seems to be the end and not the means of every recent form of representation, being it artistic, political or social. How is it possible to make its creative function accessible to the larger public? Could communication initiate projects that propose the transformation of the existing world? Could it be critical enough to confront a system that equates every expressive form to consumerist media standards?

Speakers:
Beatriz Colomina, Derrick De Kerckhove, Marcos Novak, Antonio Caronia (moderator)

Saturday July 12

3:30 pm

6) Building vision, beyond standardization
Architecture equals building. The coupling, though, has changed: recent experimentations in engineering employ representation techniques that afford whole new visions, more open than the previous ones and not limited by serial standardization. What are the relationships among architects' imagination, design tools and built structures in the contemporary world? Can technology increased flexibility be extended to a larger set of users and, at the same time, be respectful of the natural environment?

Speakers:
Furio Barzon, John Frazer, Frédéric Migayrou, Alvise Simondetti,
Mario Carpo (moderator)


		HOME NEWS FESTIVAL NETWORK PRESS AREA SHOP CONTACT previous editions BEYOND MEDIA 2009 theme PROGRAM calendar INFORMATION CREDITS Sponsors gallery login / submit Call for entries Search Italiano	SYMPOSIUM Videos THE VIEW MASTERS Exhibitions Workshops INSTALLATIONS / SCENARIO TALK / FORUM VISIONS FOR FLORENCE special Events The symposium, that takes place during the BEYOND MEDIA festival and is curated by Pietro Valle, explores the theme VISIONS. It investigates imagination and visionariety in six thematic areas: architecture, art, literature, the global city, communication and construction techniques. For each of them there is a round table discussion with three or four guests and a moderator. A multidisciplinary approach with international guests will investigate how visions take shape in the contemporary world and if they are stilll able to offer a different view of reality. The discussions and the speakers are: Thursday July 9 3:30 pm 1) Architecture, vision and power Some large scale architectural projects have the power to envision a possible future or an alternative environment. At the same time, their designers rely on a economic-political power that commissions these structures and make them buildable. What is the degree of freedom that a contemporary designer can afford in carrying forward visions if he/she wants to see them translated into reality? What is the relationship between architectural imagination and consensus strategies imposed by an increasingly aggressive advanced capitalism? Speakers: Pier Vittorio Aureli, Felicity Scott, Peter Wilson, Francisco Sanin (moderator) Friday July 10 3:30 pm 2) Writing and vision, between reality and fiction One of narrative historic function has been to describe imaginary worlds, allowing the readers to envision them in their own personal way. In the age of global communication we can access millions of data without checking their source and therefore their truthfulness. Are we on the verge of fundamental changes in the relationship between reality and imagination, truth and fiction, concreteness and theory? In view of this transformation, what could be the role of writing in offering alternative visions of the contemporary world? Speakers: Piero Frassinelli, Pedro Gadanho, Ruggero Pierantoni, Tommaso Pincio, Stefano Catucci (moderator) 6:00 pm 3) Visions of the global city The model of the third millennium city has left behind the heritage of twentieth century social utopias. How can we conceive, imagine or create a critical space that encompasses all the recent social changes of the global cities? Can we directly intervene in these cities or their design has to overcome existing strategies to project itself in a whole new model, not yet conceived? Speakers: Marco d'Eramo, Lars Krückeberg, Paul Polak, Peter Lang (moderator) Saturday July 11 3:30 pm 4) Art vision and the transformation of signs Contemporary art can offer visions that modify our perception of everyday reality. What is the space of art between existence and imagination in the contemporary world? If art can envision alternative realities, how could they be interpreted and translated in real, public space? If art has the power to transform existing signs, what role could it have, among other media, in proposing new languages? Speakers: Tony Fretton, Alberto Garutti, Martin Rein-Cano, Pietro Valle (moderator) 6:00 pm 5) Vision and communication, new interactive models Communication seems to be the end and not the means of every recent form of representation, being it artistic, political or social. How is it possible to make its creative function accessible to the larger public? Could communication initiate projects that propose the transformation of the existing world? Could it be critical enough to confront a system that equates every expressive form to consumerist media standards? Speakers: Beatriz Colomina, Derrick De Kerckhove, Marcos Novak, Antonio Caronia (moderator) Saturday July 12 3:30 pm 6) Building vision, beyond standardization Architecture equals building. The coupling, though, has changed: recent experimentations in engineering employ representation techniques that afford whole new visions, more open than the previous ones and not limited by serial standardization. What are the relationships among architects' imagination, design tools and built structures in the contemporary world? Can technology increased flexibility be extended to a larger set of users and, at the same time, be respectful of the natural environment? Speakers: Furio Barzon, John Frazer, Frédéric Migayrou, Alvise Simondetti, Mario Carpo (moderator)