The architect of the decade will be many outsiders
By Markus Miessen

“The atom is the icon of the 20th century. The atom whirls alone. It is the metaphor for individuality. But the atom is the past.” Kevin Kelly

Architecture now: Help the Aged!
While this year’s Lyon Biennale is investigating the potential for writing a history book of a decade yet to be named, architectural practice has reached a state of stasis. The architect as we know it is a dying species. In the contemporary capitalist market system, in which results have to emerge promptly, the polymath has undoubtedly become highly expendable. Without elaborating on extensive interdisciplinary knowledge, complimentary vision, or the possibility of questioning existing patterns of functionality and behaviour in practice, today’s architect is faced with an ever more increasing system of economic efficiency. While clients often demand more original design alongside increasing efficiency, improved detailing and gain of profits, the architect is left to juggle with outdated regulations, corrupt builders and diminutive remuneration –– faced with the paradox of the need for greater security assurance accompanied by the desire for more creativity and innovation. This evolution is without doubt one of the main reasons why the so-called “developer” has become the “new architect”. Many contemporary architects have succumbed into a position in which they have been limited to the ones who deliver form — a perilous progress since most developers can do it either cheaper or faster and simply outsource architects to produce form. An unprecedented legislative onslaught now dictates the production and appearance of a building, while the architect is rendered an impotent monkey in a red Fez hat taught to dance when the music comes on. In this scenario, the architect — often no longer needed — has been reduced into the one who places ornamental cherries on top of the finished cake.

In order to be able to unmark those common conceptions, it might be helpful to think of architecture as a post-disciplinary forcefield of knowledge, a practice concerned with spatial realities and their becoming. It seems that today we are in urgent need of a re-evaluation of spatial production beyond habitual definitions, acknowledging the possibility of an “architecture of knowledge” that is being built up by actively participating in the becoming of space. The understanding, production and altering of spatial conditions presents us with a pre-requisite of identifying the broader reaches of political reality. Within spatial production, the ‘new’ role of the ‘architect’ will be to seismological locate issues that matter through polyphonic practice.

Interrogating the perceived space of Europe
"Our constitution cannot be reduced to a mere treaty for co-operation between governments. Anyone who has not yet grasped this fact deserves to wear the dunce's cap." Valéry Giscard-d'Estaing (during his speech in Aachen accepting the Charlemagne Prize for European integration 29th May 2003)

On March 25th, the European Union celebrated its 50th birthday. Unfortunately, Millions of Europeans did not share Rem Koolhaas' enthusiasm for Europe. Europeans lacked belief. While the AMO-designed flags were waiving throughout Vienna’s city centre, Europe’s constitution failed. The decision by French voters to reject the proposed constitution presented a first knockout blow. But when the Dutch voted down the constitution by nearly a 2-1 margin, it was as if the voice in the wind blowing off those windmills was shouting in Dutch ears, ‘Kick ’em again!’ In it’s most crucial phase, conflicts were understood as problems rather than opportunities. Might this be due to a lack of spatial imagination? What does Europe inscribe? How is it delineated? What constitutes a European space?

Instead of using the Biennale as an opportunity to introduce the ‘next generation’ of architects, this installation asks the audience to participate in what a European shared space could potentially be. Europe as a political space is as conflictual as its constitution. It needs to be designed and negotiated. It is longing for an architecture of strategic encounters. This decade doesn’t require more figure heads; it needs swarms of practitioners that evolve the concept of political space. It aims to make a claim about political engagement and the role of the future spatial practitioner: this decade is, has been, and will be about finding new formats of commitment. Those in-flux-years will be characterized by conflict and negotiation.

The intervention will emulate the spatial setting of a polling station in which the audience will be asked to draw individual conceptions of Europe as a present and future political space. In addition, there will be a number of online commentary hubs. The accumulation of spatial knowledge will form part of an exhibition, conference, and publication to be curated by Markus Miessen at the former Bundestag (parliament building) in Bonn, which will temporarily be re-invented into a European Parliament for Spatial Practice. The Biennale intervention will act as a producer of imagination, a substance-machine that produces and distributes popular spatial knowledge.

Exhibition Design: Markus Miessen in collaboration with Ralf Pflugfelder