Stay Radical

Towards a New Avant-Garde proposes to trace parallels between two distinct timelines, seeking to understand what lessons can we still learn from the architectural impulses of the 60s and 70s Italy, and how they can be best applied by the new generation of architects. Simultaneously, the project seeks to alleviate the heavy burden the failed utopias of the 60s and 70s have left within the profession, and illuminate how the masters can still learn from the new and experimental nature of today’s initiatives. Towards a New Avant-Garde will confront old and new, looking at the past through a contemporary lens and creating strategies for a resilient future.

Drawing from comprehensive research, the project will identify key contemporary players
of both the 60s and 70s and today. It will invite them to join in an exchange which has the concept of generation at its heart; be it the commonalities and differences in generational approaches to radically-informed practice and their relationship to the wider socio-economic and political context or the relationship between generations and what they can each learn from each other. Alongside Italian participants, international figures will also take part, offering an international perspective on the topics discussed. The TOWARDS A NEW AVANT- GARDE project will materialize in a series of four talks taking place over a weekend at the Arsenale. Discussion will be moderated, and a series of provocateurs will be invited to be part of the audience, aiming for a lively, content-generating event.

Each of the four events tackles a specific topic in a transversal manner. Vibrant public discussions within the Arsenale will be reflected in a physical form on the walls as a live- edited installation—a constantly changing palimpsest that reflects the dynamics of the discussion. This physical output is further enhanced by other media, such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, immediately amplifying its resonance to a global level. Following the completion of the events, all discussion outputs will be channeled towards an experimental publication, a four-part exploration of possible futures for the new avant-garde.

Text by Vera Sacchetti