PROGRAM

Track Changes, November 4-7, 2013
The Dutch participation on the X Bienal de Arquitetura de Sao Paulo
Organized by: The New Institute (Guus Beumer, Alma Ploeger)
Curator: Crimson Architectural Historians (Ewout Dorman, Michelle Provoost, Simone Rots, Wouter Vanstiphout, Cassandra Wilkins)
Location: Centro Cultural de Sao Paulo, Rua Vergueiro 1000, CEP 01504–000, Paraiso, São Paulo, SP

November 4: Opening debate ‘We the People’
During the opening debate we will address the large scale. Masterplans are generally plans that are made outside the direct influence of the inhabitants of the cities they are for. However, the everyday life of all inhabitants is influenced and sometimes to an important extent defined by these plans. Can the Masterplan be made more democratic? In Brazil participation of the inhabitants is written into law; every city has to produce a Masterplan and the organization of participation is mandatory. But how do you organize this? How do they do this in Sao Paulo and what are the results? Kazuo Nakano, as director Urban Development, can inform us about just that. How does the Sao Paulo method or process compare to participation in other cities and countries, like for example the USA where Damon Rich is involved with the planning of public space in Newark as the Urban Designer for the city of Newark. Or the Netherlands, where Crimson tried to organize various participation projects in Hoogvliet Rotterdam.

Program
- 13.00 Doors open
- 13.30 Welcoming words by Guillerme Wisnik (curator X Bienal de Arquitetura de Sao Paulo), Guus Beumer (director of The New Institute, Rotterdam), Jan Gijs Schouten (Consul General of the Netherlands).
- 14.00 Introduction by Wouter Vanstiphout, Crimson Architectural Historians (NL)
- 14.20 Kazuo Nakano, dir. Urban Development of São Paulo (Brazil)

- 14.40 Carla Fonseca, Economist, Garimpo de Soluções (Brazil)

 
- 15.00 Pauze
- 15.20 Michelle Provoost, Crimson Architectural Historians (NL)
- 15.40 
Damon Rich, Urban Designer for the City of Newark (USA)

 
- 16.00-16.45 Discussion
- 16.45 Opening of exhibition The Banality of Good. Six decades of New Towns, Architects, Money and Politics. Simone Rots, Crimson Architectural Historians (NL), Mark Ritsema, singer-songwriter (NL)
- 17.00 Drinks

Moderators:
Wouter Vanstiphout, Crimson Architectural Historians (NL)
Maria Augusta Bueno, dir. Sao Paulo-lab Studio X (Brazil)

November 5: ‘Bottom up is not enough’
- start 1.30 pm
In this meeting we will discuss how the new alternative approaches to design and planning, can transcend the scale of the small-scaled ‘boutique’ project, and be absorbed in policies, and/or by the market and thereby have a real impact on the large numbers of city dwellers. Which role should top down planning have and how can it be integrated with bottom up initiatives? Because for cities to function well and justly an infrastructure is needed that makes sure bottom up projects are facilitated and city-scaled projects are planned and realized in harmony with bottom up initiatives.
Furthermore, we will take a very critical look at the democratic potential of our projects, whether they really do reflect the societal demands, whether they can really be said to be by the people and not just for the people. We will also look at the ways in which the design profession can actually contribute to societies where there is a huge demand for more democracy, but still a resistant or even oppressive regime.

Presentations by:
- Fernando Botton, URBZ (Brazil)


- Sofia Saavedra, Juan Pablo Corvalan, Supersudaca (Latin America)

 
- Milton Braga, MMBB, (Brazil)

 
- Elma van Boxel, Zus (NL)


- Francesco Barros, USINA, (Brazil)
- Wagner Rebehy, Urban Think Tank (Venezuela)
- Rupali Gupte & Prasad Shetty, Crit (India)

Moderating role:
Michelle Provoost & Wouter Vanstiphout, Crimson Architectural Historians (NL)

Bloggers:
Rene Boer (NL), Natália Garcia (Brazil)

November 6: ‘What’s your Crisis?’
- start 1.30 pm
Here we will focus on how the sudden and total lack of funding, or a sudden political upheaval, or a sudden humanitarian event, forces architects to rethink their way of working. Presenting projects from different parts of the world, will bring the difference of the now ubiquitous word ‘crisis’ to the fore, and will expose the limitations or potentials of the profession. The discussion will be about the various strategies offices have developed in different situations. How successful have these strategies been and which problems have the offices involved met, which boundaries have they encountered or crossed.

Presentations by:
- Carlos Teixeira, Vazio S/A (Brazil)
- Nanne de Ru, Powerhouse Company (NL)

 
- Charles Holland, FAT Architecture (UK)

 
- 23 Sul (Brazil)
- Elma van Boxel, ZUS (NL)

Interventions by:
- Jose Armenio de Brito Cruz, President Instituto de Architetos do Brasil (Brazil)

 
- Mariana Fix, University of Campina (Brazil)

 
- Ana Luiza Nobre, Architectural Historian, curator X Bienal (Brazil)

Moderating role:
Michelle Provoost & Wouter Vanstiphout, Crimson Architectural Historians (NL)

Bloggers:
Rene Boer (NL), Natália Garcia (Brazil)

November 7: Extra program: The Banality of Good
- 9.00 am
Shopping Iguatemi Alphaville (Alameda Rio Negro, 111 - Alphaville)
Opening event of EXPO Cidades Melhores Barueri 2014, an exposition about Alphaville, one of the new towns presented in The Banality of Good: Six Decades of New Towns, Architecture, Money and Politics, that is also part of the X Bienal de Arquitetura de Sao Paulo and shown in CCSP.
Crimson is invited to do the opening-speech of the EXPO in Alphaville. The opening will take place in the morning.