SESSION #1

INSPIRE: Archives and international co-operations Chair: Prof. Christoph Grafe, Architecture History Theory, Flanders Architecture Institute, AntwerpSee speakers and further description under ‘Sessions’

Architectural archives and collections are generally rooted in and fed from a particular regional or national context. Their genesis and development therefore tend to reflect the particular histories of architecture and urban planning within a distinct territory, and its political, socio-cultural and economic arrangements, as well as its landscape. Yet, architecture, while being essentially and physically tied to this context, is also a discipline with universally recognisable modi operandi and a long history of knowledge transfer among all parties involved. The development of artistic reform movements in the early twentieth century, but also architects’ associations in the post World War II period demonstrate the essentially internationalist nature of architectural discourses and practices. Forms of knowledge transfer and connections between practices in colonial and post-colonial societies have also had a profound effect on architecture and urbanism.For architectural archives this aspect of, particularly but not exclusively, modern history of architecture provides an incentive to seek and develop cross-cultural, cross-disciplinary and ‘transnational’ projects with partners abroad. The objectives of these initiatives vary and may range from pragmatic ones – sharing resources – to more content-driven ones, as networks and collaborations offer a broader basis for the research of each contributing partner or establishing a framework for a comparative analysis of regional/ national developments in the field of architecture. This call for this session invited presentations of collaborations of institutions from different cultures, countries or continents. The presentations are to examine and present the research questions which could be formulated through and by means of the existence of transnational networks of individuals and institutions.

Chair

Prof. Christoph Grafe
Architecture History Theory, Flanders Architecture InstituteBoard champion

Dr. Christine Garnaut
Associate Research Professor in Planning and Architectural History, School of Art, Architecture and DesignSpeakers

Katia Truijen
Researcher at Het Nieuwe Instituut, Holland

Marina Otero
Director of Research at Het Nieuwe Instituut, Holland

Mirko Zardini
Director, CCA Canadian Center for Architecture, Montreal, executive committee ICAM

Monika Platzer
Curator for archives and collection at the Architekturzentrum Wien, editor ICAM

Rebecca M Bailey
Head of Education & Outreach, Historic Environment Scotland / President ICAM