Havana seems to be frozen in time by centralized economic and political controls. Its inhabitants face constant material challenges in their lives. Cuban society responds by thriving with idealism, stoicism, and resilience. This dynamic interplay between myriad limitations and boundless creativity is the subject matter of our programme.
During our 10-day workshop, participants will develop projects focusing on the urban context in relation to its socioeconomic limitations. Working in small groups, participants will develop different briefs and work through specific design challenges. Throughout this dynamic process, unexpected design restrictions and obstacles will appear. The interplay of challenges and solutions in real-time will begin to mirror life in Cuba, helping participants hone their problem-solving and critical abilities while exploring new methodologies, approaches, and aesthetic perspectives. Participants will use drawing, model-making, and writing while holding one-on-one student-tutor meetings, revision sessions, and group debates to develop their design narratives and strategies.
The programme involves meeting with experts in the field of construction in Cuba and the island's most prominent local artists, musicians and theorists. The group will also visit the most important pieces of radical architecture from the 1960s, a series of modern ruins encapsulating the Cuban Revolution's story of glory and failure.
The workshop is based at Infraestudio’s office, by the Malecon, and in Vedado, the city's planned modernist neighborhood modeled on Barcelona. On the final day, the outcomes of participants’ work will be exhibited publicly and the programme will conclude, of course, with salsa lessons.
Title
AA Visiting School Havana - Against RealityType
WorkshopWebsite
Organizers
From
March 27, 2024 08:00 AMUntil
April 05, 2024 08:00 PMVenue
Havana, CubaAddress