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Architecture and the Paradox of Dissidence

This book was based on the conference 'Architecture and the Paradox of Dissidence', reflected on the relevance of the concept of dissidence for architectural practice today. The idea for the organization of a large international conference derived from my personal research on architect dissidents in which I focused primarily on architects in former East Germany and the former communist countries. The intention of the conference was to broaden the territory of research. Although dissidence has been primarily associated with architectural practices in the Eastern Bloc at the end of the Cold War period, contemporary architecture and other aesthetic practices have in recent years developed a host of new methodologies and techniques for articulating their distance from and critique of dominant political and financial structures. The conference presented 60 papers, 5 key-note lectures and attracted 150 international participants among them contemporary spatial practitioners, architects, urbanists, journalists, activists, filmmakers and curators and students. The conference was recognized and discussed internationally.

The findings from the conference, my personal research, participations in conferences and workshops helped to compose a book with the same title as the conference which I edited and introduced (6,000 words). It maps out and expands upon the methodologies of architectural action to test the concept of dissent within the architectural field in a variety of historical and geographical contexts. It discusses how the gestures and techniques of past struggles, as well as ‘dilemmas’ of working in politically suppressive regimes, can help to inform those of today. This collection of essays from 16 expert scholars demonstrates the multiple responses to this subject, the potential and dangers of dissidence, and thus constructs a robust lexicon of concepts that will point to possible ways forward for politically and theoretically committed architects and practitioners.

http://dissidence.org.uk

http://www.baumeister.de/blog/architekt-und-dissident-geht-das.html

Review article:

Alexander Gutzmer, ‘Architekt und Dissident- Geht das?, Baumeister, January, 2013