Connect2Culture in Copenhagen

Joint reflection process on culture and sustainability, alongside UNFCCC COP15 (December 2009, Copenhagen)

Connect2Culture in Copenhagen

Survey: artists and environmental sustainability

Posted by  on Monday, December 14th 2009     

An online culture360.org survey taken during the Copenhagen UN climate talks asked:

As an artist or/and a cultural practitioner, do you consider it relevant to be engaged in the debate on environmental sustainability?

Karen
“Yes, it is really important for artists to contribute to a debate on environmental sustainability because they often think outside the circle and can find solutions in unusual places.”

Dimitris
“Yes, because the planet is dying.”

Carolina
“Yes, cold debates lead to nowhere. we, artists, bring with us not only our wisdom and scrutinizing intellect but our heart and inspired imagination as well.”

Mary Ann
“Yes, artists are citizens too, and we can all lend our talents and skills to help stop the dangers to our environments.”

Tsering
“Yes, because we have nothing else.”

Raisha
“I think that anyone has the right to have an opinion on this matter. But I don’t think the artists are obligated to be engaged in a debate on this particular subject just because they have the platform to reach out to a big audience. As artists are expressive people that are free to convey whatever they feel on anything. I also think it’s much more important to act and change small things within our own environment instead of debates that many times may not lead to anything.”

Valentina
“Yes, because I believe that art is an excellent tool for creating awareness of crucial issues of our time, such as environment. Inform, stimulate, provocate, move the public!”

Art's capacity to reveal our reality

Posted by  on Thursday, December 10th 2009     

Thinking about ‘art’, ‘visions’ and some of the questions and statements that have been posted these last few days: the main potentiality I find in art is its capacity to reveal our reality – to reveal the nature of what actually exists, in all its complexity, and to reveal the possibilities of that actuality.

Thank you for all the ideas, projects, visions, and thought/action provoking comments.

(Art + action – Co2) X Change = Future

Posted by  on Wednesday, December 9th 2009     

The embassy of Suspenistan, The Survival Academy, The ministry of “trying to do something about it” are just some of the projects introduced over the closing session of culture|futures.

Finn Andersen has now formally closed culture | futures with the hope for a following event in Mexico next year.

Is the art functionalized in the eco-debate?

Posted by  on Wednesday, December 9th 2009     

Today Dr. Bernd Schere questioned if the art is being functionalized in the eco-debate. I am afraid that sometimes it is and that artists, cultural producers and NGOs should always try to see big picture, understand the contexts and maybe /sometimes not on purpose/ hidden  agendas behind even the most seemingly benevolent  invitations to cooperation  regarding different social and ecological issues.

In Slovenia artists and NGOs are often invited by the state or the city councils to take part in projects which seem very meaningful, full of creative freedom and somehow even reasonably well financed.

In Ljubljana artists were invited in the project of urban gardening which should promote green and eco awareness, home production of food etc… Previously and parallel to this project city council  has taken in different parts of  the city suburbia allotments from several hundred allotment holders who were growing vegetables there for decades. It would   be good if artists understand that their work in the fancy parts of city center should not be separated from questionable city policies in everyday life and in less privileged city surroundings.

Another example is ongoing gentrifications of city centers which is often “embellished” and legitimized by involving artist in some beautiful installation etc.

Therefore I strongly believe that artists should always question about the broader implications of their work and should make all possible questions and researches before accepting invitations especially which come from the state, corporations etc. The knowledge of theory in general and of some political economy always help.

Peter Head of Arup engineering presents cultural planning

Posted by  on Wednesday, December 9th 2009     

 

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Peter Head of Arup presented the integrated approach to urban design which was developed and implemented for the Wanzhuang eco-city. A project that before ARUP were involved, proposed that the local 100,000 local people living in the area proposed for development be wiped out and replaced by a block by block development of separated modern living.

ARUP chose to engage the villages and then develop from there. Each village had a hugely varied culture. They chose to maintain the footprint of the villages, not necessarily the buildings. After 18 months of negotiations agreed the farmers could live on the edge, in a development that is organic, and retains the original outline of the villages.

 

Another example was the development of an old 2nd world war airstrip in the Greater London Area, a place where villages are always objecting to development there. The planners at ARUP through the process revealed the need to reflect the history of the airstrip in the development. When ARUP presented the plans, the villagers immediately changed there minds about the development. They realised that they were objecting to the loss of the memory of the airfield and not necessary the development. They were objecting to the loss of memory, cultural identity.

One recommendation Peter made was that cultural factors need to be part of all planning processes.

Points make Lines, Lines make Surface

Posted by  on Wednesday, December 9th 2009     

Yusaku Imamura, also an architect but now working in the cultural sector, presented a proposal on working on a water-scape in Tokyo,a city with very rich water landscape features. However, there is no cultural heritage along the river. Edo – a new Tokyo can be a Venice of the east. This project was brought forward to make part of the Tokyo 2016 Olympics bid which Yusaku oversaw the cultural side of the bid. The Olympics 2016 was to be an act of connecting the world ( in a city where connecting people can be sometimes difficult) and making Tokyo a sustainable metropolis.  He proposed thousands of knots; bridging, connecting departments and various fields. Culture needs be the platform for people to gather. Tokyo Arts Point is the condensation to make a micro-project and invite the various stakeholders to collaborate on the issues facing the community.

Yusaku Imamura, is director at Tokyo Wonder Site and Counselor on Special Issues to the Governor,Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Architect Sunand Prasad asks why we have to redesign a city to deal with a fire-engine?

Posted by  on Wednesday, December 9th 2009     
Sunand Prasad's work at Disko Bay, Greenland

Sunand Prasad's work at Disko Bay, Greenland

Architect Sunand Prasad travelled to Greenland in 2008 as part of the Cape Farewell team and created there an art work (above) that trapped a month of carbon emmission from UK in a translucent white box. More at: http://www.capefarewell.com/art/artists/sunand-prasad.html

Examining the relationship between culture and city, communication was highlighted as the issue. There are many example’s of fine pubic spaces in cities throughout the world, the presentation focused on the richness and inherint sustainability discovered in the architecture and urban from in Old Delhi and comparing and contrasting that to the architecture, urban form and culture of New Delhi. Why was built form, both domestic and urban, developed over 1000 years was abandoned in the space of 50 years?

He highlighted the sustainability of the Slum district in Mumbai and the point that the biggest danger is not the slums themselves but the land grabbers that are sysematically demolishing these areas and wiping out the most vibrant of cultures, as highlighted in teh movie Slum Dog millionaire…oh it’s a fire trap…in fact the area is the most productive areas per captia. Why do we have to redesign a city to deal with a fire-engine?Are we not clever enough to design a fire engine that works in a city grain with over 5000 years of working history? All it needs is basic services, the culture here is as good as it gets, whole workshop recycling tins slide is great.

Italian architect Mario Cuchinella emphasises creative empathy and knowledge

Posted by  on Wednesday, December 9th 2009     

Italian architect, Mario Cuchinella emphasises the importance of knowledge in developing and designing sustainable cities. For hundreds of years before the invention of electricity, architects in ancient civilisations such as India have been designing sustainable cities. Hence, he argued, the question is not one of technology, but of knowledge and equilibrium.

He also stressed the importance of creative empathy in the work of architects and planners. Empathy, he noted, enables understanding anf harmony.

Danish architect Jan Gehl asks: How do form and culture interact in cities?

Posted by  on Wednesday, December 9th 2009     

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 Bike1

Jan Gehl, Founder, Gehl Architects speaks at the final day of the Culture I Future Working Seminar at the University of Copenhagen (9 Dec).

Addressing the issue of the cultural transformation of cities, Danish architect Jan Gehl spoke of the relationship between form/buildings/physical infrastructure and the culture/lifestyle of a city. How does form influence life, he asks.

The need of the hour is to make cities people-friendly. The lives of people is very much influenced by the form of cities, he argued.

He illustrated extensively from the example of the “cycology” of Copenhagen, one of the most bicycle-friendly cities of the world.

Maja Hawlina on the place of the arts in the eco-debate

Posted by  on Wednesday, December 9th 2009     

Maja Hawlina of Poper, Slovenia writes:

Is the art functionalized in the eco-debate?

Today Dr. Bernd Scherer questioned if the art is being functionalized in the eco-debate. I am afraid that sometimes it is and that artists, cultural producers and NGOs should always try to see big picture, understand the contexts and maybe /sometimes not on purpose/ hidden  agendas behind even the most seemingly benevolent  invitations to cooperation  regarding different social and ecological issues.

In Slovenia artists and NGOs are often invited by the state or the city councils to take part in projects which seem very meaningful, full of creative freedom and somehow even reasonably well financed.

In Ljubljana artists were invited in the project of urban gardening which should promote green and eco awareness, home production of food etc… Previously and parallel to this project city council  has taken in different parts of  the city suburbia allotments from several hundred allotment holders who were growing vegetables there for decades. It would   be good if artists understand that their work in the fancy parts of city center should not be separated from questionable city policies in everyday life and in less privileged city surroundings.

Another example is ongoing gentrifications of city centers which is often “embellished” and legitimized by involving artist in some beautiful installation etc.

Therefore I strongly believe that artists should always question about the broader implications of their work and should make all possible questions and researches before accepting invitations especially which come from the state, corporations etc. The knowledge of theory in general and of some political economy always help.

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