Architectural Post-colonialism + Pedagogical Decolonization = Utzonia: from / to Denmark with Love
Utzonia will be a seminar and a book launch. Where proximity is tackled as the import/export of cultures through architectural projects analysed by contributors, deploying Utzon's architecture as a pretext to discuss about cross-bordering conditions and shortening of cultural and physical distances through multicultural settings. As a book Utzonia aims at contributing to contemporary investigations and discussions around Nordic Perspectives. It is a critical study concerning architectural history and theory and the significance of the legacy by the Danish architect Jørn Utzon (1918-2008). First, the book contributes to the decolonization of dominant and mythologic ex-cathedra historiographies introducing a model of research and teaching architecture that empowers students and faculties calling them to re-investigate known masters beyond their holiness. The investigation about labour and cross-border cultural and economic exchanges are thus meant to re-construct a series of scenarios able to introduce actors and conditions, so far neglected. Second, the book deploys the Utzonian legacy to contextualize Danish contemporary professionalism. In Denmark, in 2019 the architectural operation in foreign countries accounted, in fact, an impressive 58,6% of global revenue by Danish companies of the sector, through exports and foreign subsidiaries (Garver and Dorph Broager 2019, 39). However, today, as in the Utzon’s time, it is not clear what exporting of welfare principles has meant for receivers (e.g. non-democratic countries), as well as it is not yet explored what the import of foreign inputs has meant for Danish architecture. Inside the book, the reader will find a selection of fourteen buildings and building complexes built in the second half of the 20th century critically re-addressed through drawings, physical models, and academic essays developed alongside a series of teaching and research activities. Seven of these projects were selected due to their relationship with an import of architectural production to Denmark, while the remaining seven are significant due to export of architectural production from Denmark, relating to the fact that a large part of Utzon's practice took place abroad.
Preview on the SSDD Instagram Live: May 19th at 16.00-16.10 (CET)
The full event will be live on Zoom on May 19th at 16.30-18.00 (CET) via this link: https://disabroad.zoom.us/j/98612278556?pwd=ZkpPdkwwVEpqUm12R3lzWTFPL0hYUT09
Meeting ID: 986 1227 8556 / Passcode: 917691
16.30 Welcome by Angela Gigliotti and Troels Rugbjerg
16.40 Book presentation
17:00 Architectural Drawings as decolonizing tools
Import cases: Bagsværd Church presented by Brandon Brooks; Paustian Showroom presented by Shirley Chen; Villa Middelboe presented by Pyae Thein.
Export cases: Can Felix presented by Kevin Altunian; Can Lis presented by Mariana Cruz Uy and Banck House presented by Parady Sarun.
17.30 Book Review and Question Time moderated by Carolina Dayer.
18.00 End of the event
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"Utzonia: From / To Denmark with Love"
Editors: Angela Gigliotti and Troels Rugbjerg
Graphic Design by: OFFICE U67 ApS
Funded by: Statens Kunstfond, DIS – Study Abroad in Scandinavia and the Aarhus School of Architecture
Published by: LISt Lab
