What happens when culture becomes a tool to rethink the city? How can architecture, urban design and cultural policies converge to transform the city? This volume explores forty years of the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) Programme as a critical lens through which to read, design and imagine the contemporary city. Beyond celebratory narratives, the volume analyses ECoCs as complex devices of cultural diplomacy, civic imagination, participation and morpho-functional regeneration of urban space. Through the investigation of 40 case studies, thematic essays and comparative mappings, the thesis of the “city as a cultural project” explores the possible combinations between architecture, temporary and ephemeral events and short, medium and long-term urban strategies, as a vector of new city paradigms. From Athens 1985 to Nova Gorica/Gorizia 2025, the book traces the evolution of the European Capitals of Culture from symbolic events to political and structural projects for the city. The volume is the result of the study and design activity carried out within the RRR Lab - Integrated Design Studio of Architecture and Building in the academic years 2023-24 and 2024-25, thanks to the work of the student collectives COLGO and VAGO, the teachers of the Laboratory and the partners who in these two years have accompanied and supported the teaching and research activities carried out. Written by architects, scholars and designers involved in these paths, between local and global, the book proposes an interdisciplinary approach, which claims the city as a space of collective authorship, as a field of experimentation for the future of Europe and its communities. The essay "The role of art as a catalyst for socio-cultural transformation" analyses the role of art as an agent of socio-cultural transformation, taking Joseph Beuys' work 7000 Oaks (1982) as its starting point. This piece redefines the concept of sculpture as a collective process spread throughout urban spaces. Based on the planting of oak trees alongside basalt blocks, the project serves as an example of 'social sculpture', founded on participation, collaboration, and a relationship with public space. Consequently, art emerges not merely as an aesthetic object, but as an active practice capable of influencing reality and generating environmental, political and social change. Art acts as a universal language that connects cultures, times and places, promoting inclusion and critical thinking. The text emphasises that when art engages with the local area and community, it can transform spaces into dynamic and meaningful places. The European Capital of Culture initiative is a contemporary example of this approach. Galway 2020 and Eleusis 2022 are cases in point, showcasing artistic practices based on decentralisation, mobility and participation. Projects such as Studio Drop and The Ark demonstrate art's ability to initiate collective processes and global reflections. Finally, the text showcases the variety of contemporary artistic interventions that are united by the concept of art as an intangible, transformative experience.
The role of art as a catalyst for socio-cultural transformation
michela lupieri
2025-01-01
Abstract
What happens when culture becomes a tool to rethink the city? How can architecture, urban design and cultural policies converge to transform the city? This volume explores forty years of the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) Programme as a critical lens through which to read, design and imagine the contemporary city. Beyond celebratory narratives, the volume analyses ECoCs as complex devices of cultural diplomacy, civic imagination, participation and morpho-functional regeneration of urban space. Through the investigation of 40 case studies, thematic essays and comparative mappings, the thesis of the “city as a cultural project” explores the possible combinations between architecture, temporary and ephemeral events and short, medium and long-term urban strategies, as a vector of new city paradigms. From Athens 1985 to Nova Gorica/Gorizia 2025, the book traces the evolution of the European Capitals of Culture from symbolic events to political and structural projects for the city. The volume is the result of the study and design activity carried out within the RRR Lab - Integrated Design Studio of Architecture and Building in the academic years 2023-24 and 2024-25, thanks to the work of the student collectives COLGO and VAGO, the teachers of the Laboratory and the partners who in these two years have accompanied and supported the teaching and research activities carried out. Written by architects, scholars and designers involved in these paths, between local and global, the book proposes an interdisciplinary approach, which claims the city as a space of collective authorship, as a field of experimentation for the future of Europe and its communities. The essay "The role of art as a catalyst for socio-cultural transformation" analyses the role of art as an agent of socio-cultural transformation, taking Joseph Beuys' work 7000 Oaks (1982) as its starting point. This piece redefines the concept of sculpture as a collective process spread throughout urban spaces. Based on the planting of oak trees alongside basalt blocks, the project serves as an example of 'social sculpture', founded on participation, collaboration, and a relationship with public space. Consequently, art emerges not merely as an aesthetic object, but as an active practice capable of influencing reality and generating environmental, political and social change. Art acts as a universal language that connects cultures, times and places, promoting inclusion and critical thinking. The text emphasises that when art engages with the local area and community, it can transform spaces into dynamic and meaningful places. The European Capital of Culture initiative is a contemporary example of this approach. Galway 2020 and Eleusis 2022 are cases in point, showcasing artistic practices based on decentralisation, mobility and participation. Projects such as Studio Drop and The Ark demonstrate art's ability to initiate collective processes and global reflections. Finally, the text showcases the variety of contemporary artistic interventions that are united by the concept of art as an intangible, transformative experience.Pubblicazioni consigliate
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