Collage Bucharest
Postmodernism and the Paris of the East

Today Bucharest is mainly perceived through the massive social housing developments from the Ceaucescu dictatorship. Their esthetics and living conditions are commonly related to socialist modernism, industrial modernization, and the regulatory rationalities of modernism.
But the power of the straight line (always superior to the curve in modernism) is already broken by the confusion of curved facades, cultural artifacts, and antimodern/ postmodern styles of the boulevards adjunct to the peoples palace. These housing projects are challenging the notion, understanding and perception of modernism/ postmodernism in the architectural and urban history of Bucharest.
From 25th to 29th of May 2005, architects, urbanists, sociologists, artists, students and cultural producers will investigate, negotiate and research that particular shift from modernism to postmodernism in historic/ contemporary Bucharest urban conditions through workshops, public screenings, lectures and symposion.
WORKSHOPS on: Architecture/Urbanism Bucharest ( by Mariana Celac, Michael Hofstätter, Horia Marinescu)
Urbanism/Arts/Visual Culture/ (by Sabine Bitter, Iosif Kiraly, Helmut Weber)
Urban Culture/Sociology (by Anette Baldauf, Oana Ciobanu)

Location: Ion Mincu University of Architecture Bucharest; University of Arts, Bucharest; rooms to be announced

Program May 25. - 29, 2005


25th Wednesday
9.00 -16.00 _ art workshop (Bitter/Kiraly/Weber), architecture workshop (Celac/Hofstätter/Marinescu)
19.00 _ panel presentations, discussion of all art and architecture workshop participants

26th Thursday
9.00 - 16.00 _ art workshop (Bitter/Kiraly/Weber), architecture workshop (Celac/Hofstätter/Marinescu)
13.00 - 18.00 _ sociology workshop (Anette Baldauf, Oana Ciobanu)
(19.00 _ screening BRAZIL, discussion)

27th Friday
9 – 16.00 _ sociology workshop (Anette Baldauf, Oana Ciobanu), art workshop (Bitter/Kiraly/Weber), architecture workshop (Celac/Hofstätter/Marinescu)
11.00 - 15.00 _ visit of the boulevards and peoples palace with Ricardo Bofill (tbc)

19.00 _ lecture Ricardo Bofill (tbc)
(alternative: public screening BRAZIL, 27th Friday)

28th Saturday
11 – 14.00 _ Interpretation, Conclusion:
sociology workshop (Anette Baldauf, Oana Ciobanu), art workshop (Bitter/Kiraly/Weber), architecture workshop (Celac/ Hofstätter /Marinescu)

symposium 16.00 - 20.00

16.00 _ Welcome and introduction, Mariana Celac
16.15 _ Urban Structures: Transformation and Agency, Sabine Bitter / Helmut Weber
17.00 _ Monumentality and Ambiguity, Michael Hofstätter (Pauhof)
17.45 _ Ciprian Mihali and Andreea Mihalache
18.30 _ The House of the People. The history of a receptivity, Augustin Ioan
19.10 _ screening Architecture and Power by Augustin Ioan
followed by discussion, Mariana Celac moderating


18.00 _ Poverty and Urban Inhospitality, Ciprian Mihali, Andreea Mihalache and Augustin Ioan
19.00 _ screening Architecture and Power by Augustin Ioan
Mariana Celac moderating

29th Sunday

symposium 10.00 - 15.00

10.00 _ The architecture that did not exist, Ana Maria Zahariade
10.45 _ The Boulevard of "The Victory of Socialism", Marius Marcu-Lapadat, Romeo Simiras
11.30 _ The Social Production of ‘Centru Civic’, Anette Baldauf
12.00 _ lunch break

13.00_ The Backyard Takes its Revenge, Mariana Celac & Iosif Kiraly
13.45 _15.00_ Open-forum/ all panelists & participants/ audience: Resume/Workshop/Discussion: open end? video-tape/recording reflections and debates with students

further information: Sabine Bitter, Helmut Weber - office@lot.at