SYNOPSIS WRITTEN FOR CROSSROADS 2014
'ART IN ARCHITECTURE'
by Sujith.G.S
by Sujith.G.S
CROSSROADS is an initiative by
the architectural fraternity of Calicut to create a platform for some genuine
architectural deliberations, critical thinking and ideation in the field of
architecture and urbanism. The conference, in its first edition addressed the
dynamics of the public realm through its theme of ‘Public Architecture‘. It was
an attempt to revive the importance of public architecture in establishing the
social and cultural equity, by actively involving & participating in
building the public realm. The event featured talks by keynote speakers, a walk
through the historic core of the city, workshops, exhibitions of public
projects, competitions and various other activities, which created a platform
for some great interaction and some critical architectural discussions.
The theme of the event this year
is ‘Art in Architecture’, where we want to address the relevance and necessity
of Art in Architecture. Although entwined in a symbiotic relationship, we find
that there exists a dichotomy in the way art and architecture is integrated in
our spaces today, with the end result being the highly chaotic interventions in
our cultural landscapes. Our cities and built
spaces are filled with numerous examples of arguably irrelevant junk which masquerade
as art. Further, the duality of design as a functional response to a
programmatic requirement and also to notions / questions on higher metaphors
needs to be explored in today’s context. No approach is absolute, yet, we find
our spaces increasingly being defined by faux notions & symbols of artistic
concepts. There are critical questions that we must ask – how deep is the role
of art in architecture? How does art reflect and enhance our cultural construct?
How can art inspire architecture in the exposition of a positive spatial and
social agenda?
The subcontinent provides some
excellent examples of integrating the regional craft traditions into the built
environments. Presently, these craft traditions are being eschewed in favour of
a globalised vocabulary, borrowing heavily from international imagery and
graphical creations, without having the conceptual depth to contextualize the
designs and to make it more relevant to the regional context. The pertinent
question that we need to ask is if at all it is necessary to incorporate these
micro-narratives into our spatiality, and if so, what are the social,
economical and psychological implications?
Questions on the relevance of new
media and digital templates in the architectural discourse need to be further addressed.
How do we embrace this explosion of content and arrive at relevant themes?
Today, the evolution of architecture is taken forward by newer economical
realities and technological innovations. The tools of the trade are becoming
increasingly digitized and the traditions of using the hand are being neglected
and the cognitive process of design is being redefined. The directness of the
hand drawn sketch in evolving and distilling ideas in the design process is being
overlooked in favour of other digital media. Is this a positive evolution or is
there a need for moderation?
Considering these multiple levels
of enquiries, ‘Art in Architecture’ can evolve multi-directional approaches and
positions which can help articulate a meaningful and relevant social
perspective. Consequently, at this juncture, we feel it would be appropriate to
address these new realities, to start a dialogue, to contemplate and to
postulate, so that there is a much better understanding and appreciation of this
critical agenda.
