Document Talks 02: Critical Conservation Research Itineraries
Exhibition: 25 Oct – 30 Oct
Salon: 28 Oct, 5pm
Between October 25th and 30th, MDes Critical Conservation students exhibited their work at the GSD fortyK Gallery, within the gallery’s framework “Document Talks.” The exhibition, Research Itineraries, a Photographic Inquiry from the CC Students, is a visual collection of the research work put forward by the second year student. It wanted to present itself as a fragmentary constellation of individual interests and experiences that encompass the multifaceted aspects of Design, from landscape to personal memories, from heritage to housing and much more. Indeed, it represents the very nature and richness of the concentration. The arrangement of the exhibition, from each exhibitor to the whole ensemble, created a world that could be seen as a map of the program’s inquiry. Moreover, Research Itineraries was conceived by the curator, Francesca Romana Forlini, as an occasion to raise some questions: how is it possible to visually express the manifold reality of a research project through simply pictures, collages or videos? How can this lead to complex research questions? Through visual material they tried to understand how meaning is communicated at multiple scales, in multiple dimensions and by different agents, especially the photographer. The students exposed the challenges of each one’s research, experiences and ideas, raising critical issues that will be later developed in each final thesis. Their work has been divided into three different categories, according to affinities in terms of topic and visual material.
The gallery hosted a salon on October 28th, in which each participant exposed his/her own project to the public. The presentation was followed by a lively and enriching debate session.
The participants and their topics:
SPECTACLE AND IDENTITY:
- Guan Min, “The New Rurality in China: Historical Villages under Tourism Investment,” Zhejian, China
- Francesca Romana Forlini, “Preserving Domesticity,” Paris, France
COPY AND AUTHENTICITY:
- Boya Guo, “Critical Copying in China,” Beijing, China
- Hao Ding, “Authentic Life in the ‘Exotic Chinatown,’” Los Angeles, USA
CITY AND CULTURE:
- Javier Ors Ausin, “(In)Formal, Learning from Dharavi,” Mumbai, India
- Roseann T. Sijeeni, “Preconception of Cultural Heritage,” Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
