architecture criticism in the age of social networks
DESCRIPTION
Slideshow for the presentation"Architecture Criticism in the Age of Social Networks" given at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid during the Critic|All international conference. Read the full paper on Academia.edu: http://goo.gl/2tqirJ Abstract: In the Nineties, Ignasi de Solà-Morales described the relationship between critics and architects as one of sadomasochism, with the former controlling their anxiety for the recent collapse of grand narratives by exercising a compensatory aggressiveness! towards the latter, who resignedly offered their pro"ects to the lashes of their chastisers! with the hope that non-evident meaning wo#ld event#ally become manifest. $wo decades later, this relationship has been largely t#rned #pside-down, with many architects now dictating case-by-case the %eys for the interpretation of their pro"ects, and many critics red#cing their role to that of observers of the architect#ral mar%et and promoters of its top prod#cts. &nder the destabili'ing effects of postmodern relativism, ideological conflict has been replaced by pragmatic partnership, legitimately leading to a loss of confidence in criti(#e itself. )#t was conflict a better alternative* +ccording to common interpretations of the idea of criticism, it probably was. In its main acceptations as a profession, as a set of social practices, or as a disciplinary disco#rse the term is in fact #sed to indicate a set of intellect#al activities traditionally placed o#tside of /and possibly against0 the domain of architect#ral prod#ction, being what separates critics from architects precisely what can ens#re in 1#igi Man'ione2s words a margin of efficiency in critical disco#rse!. 3istancing, however, has its side effects. $he fact that +llison +rieff has recently compared reading architect#ral writings to having a tooth extracted is (#ite explicative of the way in which many critics wor% nowadays4 little concerned abo#t the #se that architects will do of their ideas, they write for no-one except for themselves, loc%ing critical disco#rse in a cage of a#tonomy from which no real infl#ence on architect#ral prod#ction can be exercised. 5riti(#e for criti(#e2s sa%e tragically reflects a retreat from reality that seems even more problematic if we consider how many opport#nities for elaborating alternative ways of comm#nication are offered today by new digital media. In this essay, I intend to spec#late on how internet and social networ%s can play an important part in the redefinition of the attit#de and tools of architect#re criticism, insisting on the val#e of sociability over isolation, s#ggesting an extension of the media thro#gh which criti(#e is performed, and proposing a third model of relationship that of the sparring partner as a possible way of overcoming the present moment of social empasse.TRANSCRIPT
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Architecture Criticism in the Age of Social Networkspreliminary thoughts on how web and social media can change critical practice for the better
DAVIDE TOMMASO FERRANDO | 13.06.2014 | CRITIC|ALL | FORMATS #2 [VISUAL CULTURE AND MEDIA] | ETSAM
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FACT ICRITIQUE IS A HEAVY WORD TO USE IN A BLOG
FACT IICRITICISM MEANS WRITTEN CRITICISM
FACT IIICRITICS DON'T CRITICIZE,
ARCHITECTS DON'T STAND CRITICISM
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I. THE POSSIBILITY OF A WEB CRITICISM
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ITHE WEB PROVIDES AN ALTERNATIVE PLACE WHERE
TO DEVELOP ARCHITECTURE CRITICISM
IITHANKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA, CRITICS CAN NOW REACH
A MUCH WIDER PUBLIC
IIIMAKING MONEY OUT OF WEB CRITICISM IS HARD
(BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE)
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1. AntiThesi2. Architectural Theory3. Archiwatch4. Archphoto5. Arquitectura-Política6. Black-Mamba 7. btbwarchitecture8. dpr-barcelona9. Failed Architecture10. Fulcrum11. Gizmo12. N+113. SOCKS14. Spacelab15. The Architecture of Analogy 16. The City as a Project17. The Ship18. Veredes19. Wilfing Architettura20. Zeroundicipiù
1.
2.
20. 4.
6./11. 17.
5./7./8. 3.
13.
14.
9. 10./16.
12.
15.
18.
19.
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INDEPENDENT WEB EDITORIAL PROJECTS ARE MORE FLEXIBLE IN TERMS OF:
ECONOMICS(no printing or distribution needed)
DEADLINES(no need to respect a rigid schedule)
and CONTENT DEFINITION(little pressure from sponsors and friends)
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II. FUCK IMAGE
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ALL THAT ONCE WAS DIRECTLY LIVED HAS BECOME MERE REPRESENTATION. […]
UNDERSTOOD IN ITS TOTALITY, THE SPECTACLE IS BOTH THE OUTCOME AND THE GOAL OF THE
DOMINANT MODE OF PRODUCTION. […]
THE SPECTACLE IS CAPITAL ACCUMULATED TO THE POINT WHERE IT BECOMES IMAGE.
Guy Debord
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WHILE AESTHETICIZATION REMAINS A BACKGROUND CULTURAL CONDITION THAT
PERMEATES […] THE WHOLE OF PRESENT SOCIETY, ITS EFFECTS WILL BE ALL THE MORE MARKED WITHIN
A DISCIPLINE THAT OPERATES THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF THE IMAGE.
ARCHITECTURE IS FULLY ENSNARED WITHIN THIS CONDITION.
Neil Leach
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THE WORD “ARCHITECTURE” DOESN'T SIMPLY DEFINE A BODY OF THEORIES AND
WORKS, BUT A CULTURAL LANDSCAPE MADE OF CONSTRUCTIONS, WRITINGS AND IMAGES, OF THEIR MUTUAL RELATIONS AND OF THEIR PERSONAL AND
COLLECTIVE INTERPRETATIONS
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POETRY CAN ONLY BE CRITICIZED BY POETRY. A JUDGEMENT ON ART THAT IS NOT ITSELF ART HAS
[…] NO CIVIL RIGHTS IN THE REALM OF ART.
Friedrich Schlegel
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CRITICISM SHOULD BE VIEWES IN TERMS OF TACTICS AND INTENTIONS, NOT IN TERMS OF THE MEDIA
EMPLOYED.
Wayne Attoe
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A MINOR KIND OF CRITICISM:
POTENTIALLY VIRALFASTLY PRODUCEDFASTLY CONSUMED
CLEARLY DEMISTIFYINGLOW COST
AESTHETICALLY CHARGEDSOCIAL
NO BUSINESS
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III. THE CRITIC AS SPARRING PARTNER
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THE STAR SYSTEM CREATES A PROMOTIONAL SYSTEM THAT DEVELOPS ITSELF IN PARALLEL WITH
THE OBJECTIVE CRITERIA OF ART HISTORY, CREATING A LEGEND IN WHICH THE AUTHOR IS INSEPARABLE
FROM ITS WORK. SUCH LEGEND IS DEEPLY ARTIFICIAL, BECAUSE IT NORMALIZES JUDGMENT IN
ORDER TO BETTER SUBLIMATE IT.
Pierre Restany
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