Sophia Journal is an academic, open access, peer-reviewed journal, published by the Centre for Studies in Architecture and Urbanism (CEAU) - Research group Architecture, Art, and Image (AAI) at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Porto, Portugal (FAUP), in collaboration with the association Cityscopio and their publishing imprint scopio Editions.
OPEN CALL IS NOW CLOSED | THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPLICATIONS​​: Sophia Journal Vol. 11 Landscapes of Repair - The Invisible City: Manplan and Contemporary Forms of Repair
Fourth thematic cycle "Landscapes of Repair" Guest Editors: Cristina Gastón (ETSAB-UPC), Hugh Campbell (UCD) Editors: Ana Miriam Rebelo (FAUP), Maria Neto (FAUP), Raquel Paulino (FAUP) Abstract deadline: 31 January 2026 Selected authors will be notified by the 28 of February 2026 Manuscript deadline (Conference): 1 setembro 2026 Conference (dtbc): 24/25 September 2026 Manuscript deadline (Journal): 1 November 2026 Publication date (tbc): by December 2026 Fourth thematic cycle, Landscapes of Repair Sophia Journal is currently accepting submissions for its fourth thematic cycle, Landscapes of Repair, encouraging a humanist approach to urban transformation that transcends purely economic considerations. By exploring the impactful realms of photography, film, and various visual practices, we aim to highlight their significant contributions to the discourse surrounding architectural and spatial production. Our goal is to draw urgent attention to the necessity of repairing our fractured planet. In doing so, we seek to address and connect the multitude of challenges that contemporary cities and territories across the world are facing. These visual mediums not only document but also critically engage with the diverse and complex issues of our time, offering unique perspectives on urban and environmental crises. Through this lens, we hope to foster deeper understanding and inspire reparative forms of coexistence. Framework of The Invisible City: Manplan and Contemporary Forms of Repair More than fifty years after The Architectural Review launched the Manplan series (1969–70), many of the questions it posed remain urgently relevant. Created during a time of profound disillusionment with the failures of post-war architectural modernity, Manplan aimed to expose the gap between design intentions and lived reality. It challenged architects, planners, and the public to confront the social and political consequences of spatial decision-making in this way. Its programme was daring, controversial, constructive and rooted in the belief that architecture must be accountable to basic human needs. Photography and visual practices can act as potent tools for revealing systemic failures, inequalities, and possibilities for change. In its radically human-centred visual strategy, Manplan abandoned the conventions of pristine architectural photography, replacing them with grainy, immersive images drawn from photojournalism. These photographs did not just focus on the buildings, but on the people and how they inhabited and lived in city spaces, making them the main subjects of the pictures. The Manplan photography series revealed a powerful sense of proximity to the city. A necessity to make visible what had seemed invisible before, communicating the disconnection between planning ideals and lived conditions, and highlighting the social consequences of urban neglect. Many of these worries echo powerfully today, in a moment marked by climate crisis, social precarity, infrastructural decay, and an accelerating technosphere that weighs upon cities both materially and symbolically. Manplan and the Landscapes of Repair Within the broader Landscapes of Repair cycle, Sophia Journal Vol. 11 No. 1 builds on this legacy by asking: How can visual and spatial practices once again confront the invisible pressures shaping contemporary cities, and how might they contribute to acts of repair—material, social, ecological—capable of lightening their weight? Just as the 1969–70 series captured Britain at a moment of social fragility and political transition, we ask how contemporary visual practices can reveal the fractures, burdens, and possibilities that define the “invisible city” of the Anthropocene. With the technosphere now estimated at approximately 30 trillion tonnes—an aggregate mass that rivals the biosphere—urban environments are weighed down not only by concrete, steel, and carbon emissions but also by less visible intensities: administrative inertia, social exhaustion, ecological loss, and affective forms of displacement. Repair, in this context, becomes an ethical and imaginative task, one that calls for new forms of witnessing, attention, and representation. Call for Papers and Visual Essays In this call for papers and visual essays for Sophia Journal Vol. 11 No. 1, we invite submissions that revisit, expand, or challenge the critical spirit of Manplan by exploring how visual and spatial practices - particularly through the lenses of photography, film, and architecture - can act as instruments of care, exposure, and repair. Contributions may examine unstable territories, critically revisit urban archives, or propose actions that seek to repair the imperceptible scars of contemporary cities and landscapes. Topics include, but are not limited to: Revisiting Manplan: contemporary re-readings of the series and its relevance to contemporary city problems Visualising the invisible city: photographic and filmic strategies for making visible social, ecological, or infrastructural forms of neglect Landscapes of care: practices of maintenance, repair, cohabitation, and socio-ecological oversight The politics of representation: how image-making shapes public understanding of urban unfairnesses and possibilities for change Urban weight and urban lightness: responses to the material and immaterial burdens of the technosphere Human and more-than-human cohabitation: visual narratives of interdependence, vulnerability, and resilience spaces and interactions Spectral architectures: capturing the atmospheres, absences and ruins of contemporary urban life Speculative repair: creative proposals that confront contemporary dysfunctions and envision an alternative future Visual and spatial narratives: envisioning ecological and social repair in urban and rural contexts Critical frameworks: critical visual narratives addressing diverse problems across cultures and disciplines We welcome submissions from scholars, artists, architects, practitioners, activists, and transdisciplinary researchers who explore these questions through theoretical essays, visual essays, documentary projects, experimental formats, or hybrid research practices. Towards a Reparative Visual Praxis By revisiting Manplan's ethos—its attention to lived reality, its refusal of aesthetic sanitisation, and its commitment to social critique—this issue seeks to explore how contemporary visual practices can once again operate as catalysts for public reflection and collective responsibility. In an era when cities grow heavier—materially, symbolically, and ecologically—we ask how image-making can help lighten them: by exposing the unseen, attending to the overlooked, and participating in acts of repair. We look forward to receiving contributions that illuminate, interrogate, or reimagine the landscapes of care shaping today's and tomorrow's cities. Submission instructions To submit your abstract proposal, please send a 500-word text (including references and a maximum of five images) and a short bio for each author (up to 70 words each) by the 31st of Jnauary, 2026. Submission of abstracts is done through our OJS platform by registering and submitting at: https://www.up.pt/revistas/index.php/sophia/index Selected authors will be notified by the 28 of February 2026 and will benefit from Sophia´s Editorial orientation and instructions in order to deliver a full paper (between 3000 to 6000 words) or a visual essay (length between 6 to 8 pages, plus text between 750 to 1500 words) by the 1 of May 2026. Authors who have not sent in this first stage their abstract can still send a full manuscript until the 1 of May 2026. Please note that all theoretical papers will be subject to blind peer review. The other modalities of submissions we publish (visual essays, interviews, and critical reviews) are subjected to peer review. Acceptance of an abstract in any of these modalities does not guarantee publication. Sophia Journal International Conference Sophia Journal International conference "The Invisible City: Manplan and Contemporary Forms of Repair” will take place at FAUP - Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto, continuing the successful annual cycle of international forums dedicated to the critical exploration of the intersections between image and architecture. The conference emerges as a dynamic platform for addressing descriptive, analytical, and interpretative projects that offer a unique perception and new knowledge about how can visual and spatial practices once again confront the invisible pressures shaping contemporary cities, and how might they contribute to acts of repair—material, social, ecological—capable of lightening their weight? Abstracts for conference presentation will be published in the e-book of abstracts, which will have also the program and will be accessible and free to download through Sophia Journal OJS platform at the time of the event. Subsequent publication of the most relevant (expanded – full manuscripts) contributions will be published in Sophia Journal - Volume 11, No. 1 - Landscapes of Repair: The Invisible City: Manplan and Contemporary Forms of Repair The international conferences enhance our global outreach and foster deeper international collaboration, and are closely aligned with Sophia's peer-reviewed publication. Sophia supports and disseminates scientific research by publishing theoretical articles and visual essays that critically explore the intersections between image and architecture.
OPEN CALL IS NOW CLOSED | THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPLICATIONS​​: LANDSCAPES OF REPAIR: THE ROLE OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILM IN DOCUMENTING THE LEGACY OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE AND PUBLIC SPACES
T Mapfre y H Arts - 1990 by Martí Llorens Fourth thematic cycle "Landscapes of Repair" Guest Editor Félix Solaguren Editors Cristina Gaston Guirão, Jaime Ferrer, LLuís Angel Domínguez, Maria Neto, Andrea Parga Editorial Collaborator Judit Taberna Torres Deadline finished for 1st manuscript: Deadline for presentation at the conference: International Conference (dtbc): Deadline for 3rd Manuscript (Journal): Publication date (tbc): by December 2025 Sophia Journal is currently accepting submissions for its fourth thematic cycle “Landscapes of Repair”, encouraging a humanist approach to urban transformation that transcends purely economic considerations. By exploring the impactful realms of photography, film, and various visual practices, we aim to highlight their significant contributions to the discourse surrounding architectural programs. Our goal is to draw urgent attention to the necessity of repairing our fractured planet. In doing so, we also seek to address and connect the multitude of challenges that contemporary cities and territories around the world are grappling with. These visual mediums not only document but also critically engage with the diverse and complex issues of our time, offering a unique perspective on urban and environmental crises. Through this lens, we hope to foster a deeper understanding and inspire actionable solutions to the pressing problems facing our global communities. Call for Submissions – The Role of Photography and Film in Documenting the Legacy of Modern and Contemporary Architecture and Public Spaces In this call for papers and visual essays of Sophia Journal Vol.10 No. 1 “Landscapes of Repair: ”, – we invite theoretical and field work using photographic and visual practices to explore and document both Modern and Contemporary Architecture and Public Space infrastructure. The call aims to understand and document architecture, building, city and territory as living and inclusive organisms, focused on recent past and present positive experiences that have shaped the quality of urban space, as well as on heritage resources for global sustainability. All this means, on the one hand, to comprehend the relationship between culture and space, within the context of Modern Architecture heritage preservation, as it belongs to a recent past that has not yet been sufficiently recognised by the authorities, scholars and general public. On the other hand, to explore how culture, beliefs, behaviours, and practices, interact with and shape the physical environment of different territories and their architectures, cities and landscapes, as well as to acknowledge contemporary discourses and usages of landscape concepts. Our objectives are to explore the ways in which photography and film can be used as meaningful instruments of research into the socioeconomic, political, historical, technical and ecological dimensions of both modern and contemporary architecture and public spaces infrastructure for our cities and territories. This means, on the one hand, a more encompassing photography documentary research and practice able to integrate the diverse modes which can be found in many documentary projects, as referred by Marion Gautreau and Jean Kempf[1]: (i) scientific, or conversely, ideological reference; (ii) artistic form as an access to the complexities of the real world; (iii) the documentary as enabling an affirmation of identity or the retrieval of memory. On the other hand, integrating into the research material processes[2] where photography is explored as a significant inquiry tool for critical and innovative views on architecture and urban transformation in their expanded fields and contextualized by larger systems: cultural, political, artistic, technical, and historical dimensions. This entails, innovative documentation or archival projects exploring discursive forms of presentation and visual constructs, articles and research papers discussing the rich spectrum of techniques and visual strategies employed in environmental discussions. As a result, we are very much interested in the research focused on exploring how visual constructs, namely photography and film, may set forward the idea of an architecture, changing our on-site perception and even turning it into a projected vision in space, as well as identifying, recording and ‘unlocking’ sites of transformation – i.e. buildings and places which are undergoing, or will undergo, a process of renewal. Another example of our interests is the diachronic studies of urban environments focused on patterns of activities and phenomena aiming at sequentially researching social change, and physical and cultural expressions that may occur during different time lapses[3]. The overall concern is to study and give visibility to photography and film practices comprehending architecture outside the dominant narratives and to call attention to both Modern and Contemporary Architecture and Public Spaces. Namely to investigate the ways in which photography and film serve as meaningful instruments of research into the socioeconomic, political, historical, technical and ecological dimensions of Architecture and Landscape. Some issues of interest that can be taken on board when answering this call are the following: Reports on buildings, public spaces and infrastructure under construction. The image of a building under construction is a powerful stimulus for the imagination of any observer. It reports on intermediate equilibrium states, transitory in the life of the building, only noticeable for a short period of time, essential to achieve the final form. A building can manifest an achievement of high aesthetic value, unforeseen by the architect himself, when it has not yet reached its functional phase. A deeper understanding of buildings is obtained by revealing the hidden structures that underpin its visible form, sometimes challenging the logic of appearance. Documentation and Preservation Techniques: Methods and techniques for documenting contemporary as well as modern architecture and public spaces, focusing on their preservation as part of our cultural and architectural heritage." Innovative approaches in photography and film that highlight the nuances and details of modern architectural elements, particularly those that are under-recognized or at risk of deterioration. Intersections of Culture, Architecture, and Public Space: Exploration of how cultural practices, beliefs, and behaviors influence the design, use, and perception of contemporary as well as modern architecture and public spaces. Studies on the interaction between contemporary as well as modern architectural forms and the diverse cultural contexts in which they exist, particularly in rapidly urbanizing or changing territories. Impact of Urban Transformation on Public Spaces: Case studies on how urban renewal and transformation projects impact existing public spaces and the communities that use them. Investigations into the role of public spaces in fostering social cohesion, community identity, and cultural continuity in urban environments. Environmental and Ecological Dimensions: Research on the environmental sustainability of contemporary as well as modern architecture and public spaces, including discussions on adaptive reuse, green infrastructure, and ecological design practices. Analysis of how photography and film can raise awareness about the ecological impacts of architectural and urban development. Historical Contexts and Future Projections: Diachronic studies of modern architecture and public spaces, examining their evolution over time and their role in shaping urban histories. Speculative and visionary works that project the future of public spaces and architecture in response to current global challenges such as climate change, migration, and social inequality. Social and Political Dimensions: Critical analysis of the social and political implications of architecture and public spaces, particularly in terms of accessibility, inclusivity, and the representation of marginalized communities. Exploration of how public spaces and architectural heritage can be leveraged to address social justice issues and promote equitable urban development. Innovative Uses of Visual Media: Studies on the role of visual media (photography, film, digital arts) in reimagining and communicating the value of contemporary as well as modern architecture and public spaces. Investigations into how contemporary visual practices can challenge or complement traditional narratives about architectural heritage and urban transformation. Memory and Identity in Public Spaces: Research on how contemporary as well as modern architecture and public spaces serve as sites of memory and identity, particularly in post-industrial, post-colonial, or post-conflict contexts. Visual explorations of how public spaces can act as repositories of collective memory and how they can be preserved or adapted to reflect changing social dynamics. Public Space as a Site of Resistance and Change: Examination of public spaces as arenas for social and political resistance, exploring how they have been used historically and in contemporary movements. Analysis of the potential of modern architecture and public spaces to act as catalysts for social change, whether through design, occupation, or cultural expression. Architectural Aesthetics and Public Perception: Exploration of how the aesthetics of contemporary as well as modern architecture influence public perception and usage of public spaces. Studies on the role of visual media in shaping public opinion about the value and significance of architectural forms. Submission instructions To submit your abstract proposal, please send a 500-word text (including references and a maximum of five images) and a short bio for each author (up to 70 words each) by the 31st of December, 2024. Submission of abstracts is done through our OJS platform by registering and submitting at: https://www.up.pt/revistas/index.php/sophia/index Selected authors will be notified by the 11 of January 2025 and will benefit from Sophia´s Editorial orientation and instructions in order to deliver a full paper (between 3000 to 6000 words) or a visual essay (length between 6 to 8 pages, plus text between 750 to 1500 words) by the 11 of March 2025. Authors who have not sent in this first stage their abstract can still send the full manuscript until the 11 of March 2025. Please note that all theoretical papers will be subject to blind peer review. The other modalities of submissions we publish (visual essays, interviews, and critical reviews) are subjected to peer review. Acceptance of an abstract in any of these modalities does not guarantee publication. Sophia Journal International Conference Sophia Journal International conference “Landscapes of Repair: The Role of Photography and Film in Documenting the Legacy of Modern and Contemporary Architecture and Public Spaces” will take place at ETSAB - Barcelona School of Architecture - UPC, continuing the successful annual cycle of international forums dedicated to the critical exploration of the intersections between image and architecture. The conference emerges as a dynamic platform for addressing descriptive, analytical, and interpretative projects that offer a unique perception and new knowledge about the role of Photography and Film in Documenting the legacy of Modern and Contemporary Architecture and Public Spaces. Abstracts for conference presentation will be published in the e-book of abstracts, which will have also the program and will be accessible and free to download through Sophia Journal OJS platform at the time of the event. Subsequent publication of the most relevant (expanded – full manuscripts) contributions will be published in Sophia Journal - Volume 10, No. 1 - Landscapes of Repair: The Role of Photography and Film in Documenting the Legacy of Modern and Contemporary Architecture and Public Spaces The international conferences enhance our global outreach and foster deeper international collaboration and are closely aligned with Sophia's peer-reviewed publication. Sophia supports and disseminates scientific research by publishing theoretical articles and visual essays that critically explore the intersections between image and architecture. [1] Marion Gautreau e Jean Kempf, «La photographie documentaire contemporaine dans les Amériques», IdeAs [Online], 13 | 2019, posto online no dia 01 março 2019, consultado o 17 dezembro 2023. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/ideas/5099; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/ideas.5099 [2] 9 Rose, G., Visual Methodologies: An Introduction to Researching with Visual Materials. London: Sage, 2012 [3] Jon Rieger, “Rephotography for Documenting Social Change”, in The Sage Handbook of Visual Research Methods (2nd ed), eds. Luc Pauwels and Dawn Mannay (Beverly Hills, CA/London: Sage, 2020), 99-113
9th Sophia Journal International Conference | 22 November | University of Navarra - School of Architecture - E.T.S.A.
Landscapes of Care. Public housing across multiple geographies: crossing theories and practices Honor Committee: Carlos Naya (ETSAUN) Pedro Leão Neto (CEAU-FAUP) Scientific Committee: Pedro Leão Neto (CEAU-FAUP) Igea Troiani (LSBU) Joan Mac Donald (U. Chile) Jorge Tárrago Mingo (ETSAUN) Maria Neto (UBI-FAUP) Paz Nuñez Martí (UAH-ETSAM) Organizing Committee Coordinator: Antonio J. Cidoncha Pérez (ETSAUN) Maria Neto (UBI-FAUP) Host Institution University of Navarra - School of Architecture - E.T.S.A. On the 22nd of November 2024, at the Universidad de Navarra, E.T.S.A., another edition of our Sophia Journal International conference will take place, continuing the successful annual cycle of international forums dedicated to the critical exploration of the intersections between image and architecture. Focusing on contemporary photographic and visual practices that explore how architecture, in its broadest sense, can contribute to healing a planet in crisis, the 9th Sophia Journal International Conference - Landscapes of Care. Public housing across multiple geographies: crossing theories and practices on public housing, centered on a dynamic reading of the city that is conditional and conditioned by housing typology. Combining architecture, public housing, habitat, and urban planning, we are presenting works that explore an interpretative narrative about housing and those who live in it, pilot projects with communities of practice capable of generating strategic visions about the possible future of city and territory, housing and the lives it (trans)forms, in this ontological relationship between the Man and house. The event comprises a program that combines live and video-conferencing sessions, which will be broadcast online and allow a large audience to participate. The program features a rich and diverse set of activities, including: Round-tables dedicated to specific topics, where discussions revolve around theoretical work, records of experiences in social housing programs, and visual essays on initiatives or pilot programs in public housing, where photography, graphic recording, testimony, and the documentary are present in a significant way and allow adding a differentiating layer for its understanding and recording. A photography exhibition titled "Public housing across multiple geographies" Launching the new Cycle for Sophia Journal "Landscapes of Repair” and its new call Sophia Journal, Vol. 10. Live visits and social events will be organised The conference emerges as a dynamic platform for addressing descriptive, analytical, and interpretative projects that offer a unique perception and new knowledge about housing, its residents, and the city, and its ability to respond to and reflect local conditions and be an element of social-territorial cohesion. Projects that are critical territories capable of expanding our understanding of architecture and social landscape in terms of their language, location, residents, and neighborhood. We are also interested in photography and film work that allows us to acknowledge the social and political dimension of architecture and landscape and understand architecture as Alvar Aalto did, “as a great synthetic process of combining thousands of definite human functions,” together with Donna Haraway’s focus on human and non-human interaction - new “nature cultures” capable of contributing to a greater understanding of the potential of architecture and landscape for a more ecological and sustainable balance and interaction between architecture and nature. In an effort to strengthen the internationalization of these conferences, we are expanding the venues to include other esteemed institutions, thus the current international conference will be hosted at University of Navarra - School of Architecture - E.T.S.A., further enhancing our global outreach and fostering deeper international collaboration. The 9th Sophia Journal International Conference marks the continuation of a series of conferences closely aligned with Sophia's peer-reviewed publication. Sophia supports and disseminates scientific research by publishing theoretical articles and visual essays that critically explore the intersections between image and architecture. We are delighted to announce the upcoming 9th Sophia Journal International Conference, which constitutes an important forum for fostering reflection and debate within the realms of architecture, photography and image making centered on a dynamic reading of the city that is conditional and conditioned by housing typology, as also a significant platform for creating a congenial atmosphere facilitating constructive exchanges of ideas and networking among researchers and colleagues from various countries. The organizing committee extends its gratitude to all who will be attending and participating in this 9th Sophia Journal International Conference, which has been an integral part of our academic community for over eight years and has played a significant role in establishing an international network focused on the intersection of Photography and Architecture. Sophia Journal International Conference
OPEN CALL IS NOW CLOSED | THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPLICATIONS | Landscapes of Care. Public housing across multiple geographies: crossing theories and practices
The Campo di Marte, La Giudecca, Venice, 2018. IACP (Istituto Autonomo Case Popolari, 1983). Courtesy: Jorge Marum Editors: Maria Neto (UBI-FAUP), Paz Nuñez Martí (UAH-ETSAM) Guest Editors: Igea Troiani (LSBU), Joan Mac Donald (U. Chile), Jorge Tárrago Mingo (ETSAUN) Open Call Video Presentation Sophia Journal is no longer accepting submissions for its third thematic cycle “Landscapes of Care” focused on “Public housing across multiple geographies: crossing theories and practices” 1st Manuscript deadline: 31 of March 2024 2st Manuscript deadline: 1 of September 2024 Deadline for Conference Presentation: October 2024 International Conference (dtbc): November 2024 3rd Manuscript deadline (Journal): 5 of October 2024 Publication date (tbc): by December 2024 Sophia Journal's third thematic, “Landscapes of Care”, addresses research, projects, experiences, and contemporary photographic and visual practices that focus on how architecture, understood in a broad sense, can help to heal the relationships between man and habitat, as well as the socio-environmental crisis that the planet is experiencing. The concept of “Landscapes of Care” has increasingly been adopted by diverse areas of study, from health geography to the arts and architecture, transposed here as the action of the social state in the housing sector, which generates a relationship of care between the state and society, framed by economic, social, and cultural rights. In this call, we are interested in investigations and visual narratives that help us understand and document practices outside the dominant narratives, which promote the right to housing but also the right to the city, calling on the city and the territory as living and inclusive organisms, recognizing the importance of public resources and social responses, participatory processes, and co- responsibility, for global sustainability. This issue, focusing on public housing, allows contributions to be centered on a dynamic reading of the city that is conditional and conditioned by housing typology. Combining architecture, public housing, habitat, and urban planning, we are convoking works that explore an interpretative narrative about housing and those who live in it, pilot projects with communities of practice capable of generating strategic visions about the possible future of city and territory, housing and the lives it (trans)forms, in this ontological relationship between the Man and house. Public housing should be an example of innovative practices, whether in design or urban and territorial development. However, most interventions carried out through housing policies or specific and isolated actions on public housing need to be sufficiently known and disseminated by authorities, technicians, and researchers to produce broad knowledge and debate. Our objective is to make known and amplify these practices that intertwine theory and action and explore how photography, surveys, testimonies, and documentaries can be used as significant research instruments in the socio-economic, political, historical, technical, and ecological dimensions of social housing, the city and the territory, revealing good practices and models to study. Launching a critical look at city-making from its dominant program - housing - we also intend to establish relationships of continuity and/or rupture, alignments, and/or gaps between housing and urban, socio-political, and architectural thought nationally and internationally. In this call for articles and visual essays for this issue of Sophia Journal Vol. 9 | Landscapes of Care. Social housing across multiple geographies: Crossing theories and practices, we invite authors to submit theoretical work, records of experiences in social housing programs, and visual essays on initiatives or pilot programs in public housing, where photography, graphic recording, testimony, and the documentary are present in a significant way and allow adding a differentiating layer for its understanding and recording. Descriptive, analytical, and interpretative projects offer a unique perception and new knowledge about housing, its residents, and the city, and its ability to respond to and reflect local conditions and be an element of socio-territorial cohesion. Projects that are critical territories capable of expanding our understanding of architecture and social landscape in terms of their language, location, residents, and neighborhood. We are also interested in photography and film work that allows us to acknowledge the social and political dimension of architecture and landscape and understand architecture as Alvar Aalto did, “as a great synthetic process of combining thousands of definite human functions,” together with Donna Haraway’s focus on human and non-human interaction - new “nature cultures” capable of contributing to a greater understanding of the potential of architecture and landscape for a more ecological and sustainable balance and interaction between architecture and nature. Submission instructions To submit your abstract proposal, please send a 500-word text (including references and a maximum of five images) and a short bio for each author (up to 70 words each) by the 1st of December, 2023 (abstract deadline has ended). Submission of abstracts is done through our OJS platform by registering and submitting at: https://www.up.pt/revistas/index.php/sophia/index Selected authors will be notified by the 11 of January 2024 and will benefit from Sophia´s Editorial orientation and instructions in order to deliver a full paper (between 3000 to 6000 words) or a visual essay (length between 6 to 8 pages, plus text between 750 to 1500 words) by the 11 of March 2024. Authors who have not sent in this first stage their abstract can still send the full manuscript until the 11 of March 2024. Please note that all theoretical papers will be subject to peer review. The other modalities of submissions we publish (visual essays, interviews, and critical reviews) are not subjected to peer review. Acceptance of an abstract in any of these modalities does not guarantee publication. BIOGRAPHIES IGEA TROIANI Igea Troiani (PhD) is a Professor of Architecture and Head of Division for Architecture at London South Bank University (LSBU). She is an architect and filmmaker with almost 30 years-experience of working in a university, architecture practice and universities gained in the UK (London, Oxford and Plymouth), China (Suzhou), Germany (Münster) and Australia (Brisbane and Melbourne). Her three key areas of research are 1) the social production of architecture; 2) architecture and media (focusing on publishing and filmmaking) and 3) architectural labour, neoliberalism and sustainable ecologies. She studies architecture from transdisciplinary perspectives to determine the conditions in which architecture is, and architects are, socially, culturally and economically produced. Her books include The Politics of Making (2017/2007); Transdisciplinary Urbanism and Culture (2017); Architecture Filmmaking (2019); Visual Research Methods in Architecture (2021); and Spaces of Tolerance (2021), and Work-life Balance in Architecture (in press). JOAN MAC DONALD Joan MacDonald is an architect and expert in housing and urban planning, especially in vulnerable contexts. She was the first architect to head the Housing Department at the UC School of Architecture and the first woman to assume the position of Undersecretary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning (1990-94). Throughout her career, she has fulfilled different urban and housing management leadership roles. Among them, she was a consultant for the Sustainable Development and Human Settlements Division of ECLAC, and between 2000 and 2014, she directed the Latin American Service, African and Asian Popular Housing (SELAVIP). From there, she promoted the execution of more than 500 housing and neighborhood improvement projects for poor urban communities in the developing world. JORGE TÁRRAGO MINGO Jorge Tárrago Mingo. Registered Architect. PhD. University of Navarra (2005). He is a Professor of Architecture and collaborates in research and editorial initiatives. He is Director of RA, Revista de Arquitectura. He has published articles in ARQ, Future Anterior, Bauwelt, Rita, PPA, Revista 180, Arquitetura rivista, ZARCH, and he is a regular reviewer for some others. He is author, co-author or editor of several books and book chapters, the most recent being Aguinaga, Echaide, Sobrini. Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura (Pamplona, 2020), awarded at the XV BEAU, and the chapter 'A Certain Praise for Drawings' in Approaching Architecture. Three Fields, One Discipline (New York & Oxon, 2023). In 2015 he co-chaired the internacional conference Inter: Photography and Architecture (2016) and the four volumes with the proceedings that were awarded at the XIV BEAU. He founded alcolea+tárrago in 2005. His work has been awarded in more than 20 national and international competitions, published in many magazines and books, and has received several architecture prizes for built work. MARIA NETO Maria Neto is an architect, invited assistant professor at DECA-UBI, and researcher at CEAU-FAUP and ICHaB-ETSAM. PhD in Architecture (EA-UAH+ICHaB-ETSAM, 2022) with an individual research scholarship from FTC, worthy of nomination for the Prémio Extraordinário UAH, holds post-graduation in Development of Human Settlements in the Third World (ICHaB/ETSAM) and professional practice in Humanitarian Shelter Coordination (IFRC/UNCHR/Oxford Brookes University). She has collaborated with the UNHCR and the BRC supporting refugees in Kenya and the UK. She was the recipient of the Távora Award, a guest speaker representing Portugal at the 17th International Exhibition of Architecture from the Venice Biennale and selected for the anthology of the Lisbon University Triennial Award. In addition to teaching at DECA-UBI and practicing in her architectural studio with architect Jorge Marum, she has collaborated with IHRU on the program “Da Habitação ao Habitat” within the framework of the New Generation of Housing Policies. PAZ NUNEZ MARTI Paz Núñez-Martí (Madrid, 1971) PhD in Architecture (Univ. Politécnica Madrid, 1998); Technical Specialist in Heritage Recovery and Rehabilitation (Univ. Politécnica Madrid, 2000) and Technical Specialist in Development Cooperation (Univ. Politécnica Madrid, 2005). PhD in Architecture (Univ. Politecnica Madrid, 2016) and currently Phd from the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura, Univ. Alcalá (2002-act). She coordinates the area of Habitat and Territory of the Research Group applied to development cooperation COOPUAH. She has been Technical Advisor to the Madrid City Council for the shanty town settlement of Cañada Real (2015-2019) and currently conducts applied research on spatial justice, urbanism and citizenship from various civic platforms with political impact in the city of Madrid.
8th SOPHIA JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
LANDSCAPES OF CARE: PHOTOGRAPHY, FILM, MODERN ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE HERITAGE Organised by: Hugh Campbell, Igea Troiani, João Leal, Mark Durden, Olívia Marques da Silva, Pedro Leão Neto, Rikke Munck Petersen, Teresa Ferreira Álvaro Siza’s ‘Piscina das Marés’, by Mark Durden and João Leal. Leça da Palmeira, Portugal, 2021. Courtesy of the artists The 8th Sophia Journal International Conference will present a live and videoconference program organised by CEAU / FAUP and the event will be broadcasted live online, encompassing a rich and diverse program around: (i) roundtables for each panel concerning a focused topic coming from Sophia´s comprehensive call; (ii) presentation of articles and visual essays submitted; (iii) Photography exhibition: The Idea of Álvaro Siza. This International Conference integrates the thematic cycle “Landscapes of Care”, addressing contemporary photographic and visual practices that focus on how architecture understood in a wide sense can help to heal a broken planet. The concept of “Landscapes of Care” has increasingly been adopted by diverse areas of study, from health geography to the arts, architecture and heritage preservation. It is used here in order to understand and document modern architecture, building, city and territory as living and inclusive organisms, as well as heritage resources for global sustainability. Modern architecture is a ‘heritage at risk’ as it belongs to a recent past that has not yet been sufficiently recognised by the authorities, scholars and general public. Our aim is to explore the ways in which photography and film can be used as meaningful instruments of research into the socioeconomic, political, historical, technical and ecological dimensions of modern architecture, city and territory. Landscapes of care: photography, film, modern architecture and landscape heritage invited theoretical and field work where architectural photography and filmmaking are descriptive, analytical and interpretive, communicating original perceptions and new understandings of modern architecture and landscapes. Photography and film projects that will allow us to show how modern buildings and landscapes have responded to and reflect the local conditions of their production and importance. Projects which critique and expand our understanding of what constitutes modern architecture and landscape, in terms of its language, locations, functions, creators, patrons and publics. Photography and film work that can allow us to see the social dimension of architecture and landscape, to understand architecture as Alvar Aalto did, “as a great synthetic process of combining thousands of definite human functions” to contribute to a greater understanding of modern architecture’s and landscape’s potential for a more ecological and sustainable balance and interplay between architecture and nature. DATE 15th and 16th of September 2023 PLACE The Conference will be held in person at FAUP - Auditório Fernando Távora - on the 15th of September and the Exhibition will take place at Carlos Ramos Pavilion on the 15th. CONFERENCE LIVE STREAMING VIA ZOOM Zoom link: https://videoconfcolibri.zoom.us/j/91965794170?pwd=TUZIWUlIdHlWQkxhRE5URU9vTWxZZz09 Meeting ID: 919 6579 4170 Password: 410878 + info 8th SOPHIA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE WEBSITE Research group 'Arquitectura, Arte e Imagem — AAI' CEAU.FAUP SCOPIO Network FAUP SIGARRA
OPEN CALL IS NOW CLOSED | THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPLICATIONS​​: Landscapes of care: photography, film, modern architecture and landscape heritage
Sophia Journal Vol. 8 | Abstract deadline (Conference): 1 December 2022 | Landscapes of care: photography, film, modern architecture and landscape heritage. Editors: Hugh Campbell, Mark Durden, Teresa Ferreira, João Leal, Rikke Munck Petersen and Igea Troiani 1. Álvaro Siza’s ‘Piscina das Marés’, by Mark Durden and João Leal. Leça da Palmeira, Portugal, 2021. Courtesy of the artists Abstract deadline: 1 of December 2022 Selected authors will be notified by the 11 of January 2023 1st Manuscript deadline: 11 of March 2023 2st Manuscript deadline: 1 of September 2023 Deadline for Conference Presentation: 10 of September 2023 International Conference (dtbc): 15 and 16 of September 2023 3rd Manuscript deadline (Journal): 5 of October 2023 Publication date (tbc): by December 2023 Sophia Journal is currently accepting submissions for its third thematic cycle “Landscapes of Care”, addressing contemporary photographic and visual practices that focus on how architecture understood in a wide sense can help to heal a broken planet. The concept of “Landscapes of Care” has increasingly been adopted by diverse areas of study, from health geography to the arts, architecture and heritage preservation. It is used here in order to understand and document modern architecture, building, city and territory as living and inclusive organisms, as well as heritage resources for global sustainability. Modern architecture is a ‘heritage at risk’ as it belongs to a recent past that has not yet been sufficiently recognised by the authorities, scholars and general public. Our aim is to explore the ways in which photography and film can be used as meaningful instruments of research into the socioeconomic, political, historical, technical and ecological dimensions of modern architecture, city and territory. In this call for papers and visual essays for this 8th issue of Sophia Journal- Landscapes of care: photography, film, modern architecture and landscape heritage– we invite theoretical and field work where architectural photography and filmmaking are descriptive, analytical and interpretive, communicating original perceptions and new understandings of modern architecture and landscapes. Photography and film projects that will allow us to show how modern buildings and landscapes have responded to and reflect the local conditions of their production and importance. Projects which critique and expand our understanding of what constitutes modern architecture and landscape, in terms of its language, locations, functions, creators, patrons and publics. Photography and film work that can allow us to see the social dimension of architecture and landscape, to understand architecture as Alvar Aalto did, “as a great synthetic process of combining thousands of definite human functions” to contribute to a greater understanding of modern architecture’s and landscape’s potential for a more ecological and sustainable balance and interplay between architecture and nature. Some issues of interest that can be taken on board when answering this call are the following: How photography and film can be used for communicating the way modern architecture, landscape and city forms relate or confront present architectural programs and public spaces and their contemporary public appropriation What photography and film tell us about the world we inhabit and can be used as a creative process that brings to light new ways of understanding modern architecture and landscape in contemporary urban space, as well as document their cultural significance and heritage values How photography and film can be used for communicating the way past modern architecture, landscape and city forms relate to or confront present architectural programs, planning and public spaces and their contemporary public appropriation How photography and film may set forward the idea of an architecture, changing our on-site perception and even turning it into a projected vision in space The uses of photography and film in identifying, recording and 'unlocking' sites of transformation – i.e. buildings, landscapes, and places, which are undergoing, or will undergo, a process of renewal Diachronic studies of modern architecture, landscape and planning programs and environments focused on patterns of activities and phenomena aiming at sequentially researching social change, and physical and cultural expressions that may occur during different time lapses Photographic and filmic series that focus on the perceptive, sensorial and affective experience of modern architecture and landscape in the urban and rural context. Accepted submissions engage with the issues above in the form of theoretical papers, visual essays, interviews, and critical reviews of publications, exhibitions, and conferences. The Editorial Team will have the responsibility of doing the first selection of entries (deadline 1 of December 2022) and inform the authors (11 of January 2023) that to proceed with the call they are expected to deliver the first draft / presentation of their paper (between 3000 to 6000 words) or visual essay (length between 6 to 8 pages, plus text between 500 to 1000 words), by the 11 of March 2023. The entries are then to be sent for review, being theoretical entries peer reviewed and visual essays reviewed by the Editorial Team. Authors are informed of the result of reviews by the 6 of May. Theoretical papers and visual essays have to be edited in accordance to the reviewers’ comments until the 17 of June in order to be presented at the International Conference to be held on September in connection with the 8th issue of Sophia Journal. In this way, Sophia Journal brings together each year a diverse group of researchers, architects, visual artists, and curators of international relevance, gathered on its International Conference, in an exercise of joint reflexivity about the intersection between photography and architecture from different perspectives and visual constructs. These international conferences embody an important stage during the process of the annual call and publication of each number of Sophia Journal. This means they enable an active dialogue between researchers, authors and the public, contributing to the identification of new avenues of research and artistic expression related to how photography can be explored as a meaningful instrument of communication, design and inquiry in the world of architecture and today ́s processes of urban change. The conference will encompass a live and videoconference programme being organised in partnership with the institutions involved. After the conference authors will be asked to edit their papers or visual essays based simultaneously on the issues raised with the debates that have taken place and the reviewers comments. A new final version for publication will have to be sent for reviewers until the 5 of October, 2023 and they can approve the version with no more modification needed or still suggests further small modifications. If the paper or visual essay is not uploaded by that deadline, it is not included in Sophia Journal. Submission instructions To submit your proposal please send a 500-word abstract (including references and a maximum of five images) and a short bio for each author (up to 70 words each) by the 1st December 2022. Submission of abstracts is done through our OJS platform, by registering and submitting at: https://www.up.pt/revistas/index.php/sophia/index Selected authors will be notified by the 11 of January 2023 that they are expected to deliver the first draft / presentation of their paper (between 3000 to 6000 words) or visual essay (length between 6 to 8 pages, plus text between 500 to 1000 words), by the 11 of March 2023. The entries are then to be sent for review, being theoretical entries peer reviewed and visual essays reviewed by the Editorial Team. Authors are informed of the result of reviews by the 6 of May. Theoretical papers and visual essays have to be edited in accordance to the reviewers’ comments until the 17 of June in order to be presented at the International Conference to be held on that month in connection with the 8th issue of Sophia Journal. We apprise you to strictly follow the guidelines that come into view on Sophia Journal platform under "Submission/Refereeing / For Authors". Authors should visit their profile in Sophia Journal platform to check out the comments and suggestions from the reviewers to be considered. To check the comments, sign in into the platform with your user and password. Your abstract will show the status “revisions required” until the final version of the paper or visual essay is submitted. After the conference authors will be asked to edit their papers or visual essays based simultaneously on the issues raised with the debates that have taken place and the reviewers comments. A new final version for publication will have to be sent for reviewers until the 5 of October, 2023 and they can approve the version with no more modification needed or still suggests further small modifications. if the paper or visual essay is not uploaded by that deadline, it is not included in Sophia Journal. Please note that all theoretical papers will be subject to peer review. The other modalities of submissions we publish (visual essays, interviews and critical reviews) are not subjected to peer review. Acceptance of an abstract in any of these modalities does not guarantee publication. For guidelines on the submission process and our editorial policies, please visit our website at: https://www.up.pt/revistas/index.php/sophia/about/submissions For any queries: Please contact our Editors at info.sophiajournal@arq.up.pt
LANDSCAPES OF CARE: THE EMERGENCE OF LANDSCAPES OF CARE IN UNSTABLE TERRITORIES 1. Armin Linke, Lake Assal, extraction of salt, Djibouti, Africa, 2012. Courtesy Armin Linke and Vistamare / Vistamarestudio, Pescara / Milano. The current 7th Sophia International Conference, organised by CEAU / FAUP, is the direct result of the Call for Papers of the upcoming 7th issue of Sophia Journal and the first volume within a new cycle of the Sophia Journal dedicated to Landscapes of Care. After a selection of the best papers and visual essays submitted to our Call, the results will be presented during an Online Conference, on the 29th of September, organised in two panels, discussing landscapes of extraction, wastelands, desert landscapes as heritage, geological boundaries and political borders, arctic expeditions, among other stimulating issues central to discuss what we have proposed in our Call. The Online Conference also counts with three presentations by invited keynote speakers: Armin Linke, Marco Ferrari + Elisa Pasqual (Studio Folder), and Elsa Brès. Each presentation is followed by a generous time for discussion between all the participants to fulfil what has been one of the major objectives of these Conferences. To celebrate the rich and diverse program of the current issue of this year's Sophia International Conference, the organisation committee proposes a live screening of films during the afternoon of the 28th of September, followed by a round-table with Margarida Mendes (TBC), Jorge Leandro Rosa, and Pedro Bandeira. The films are Subir e Sumir (2021), by Mariana Caló and Francisco Queimadela; Forest Mind (2021), by Ursula Biemann; Sweat (2020), by Elsa Brès; and Salarium (2017), by Sasha Litvinsteva in collaboration with Daniel Mann. This parallel event is an in-person event, open to all which should propel a large number of topics to be further discussed and developed on the next day, during the online conference. The general objective of these Conferences is to promote the reflection and debate on the universes of Architecture, Art and Image, addressing various issues transversal to the worlds of Photography and Architecture, exploring how the image can be a means to cross borders and shift boundaries between different disciplinary areas. For more detailed information, please consult the program. EXECUTIVE COMMITEE Pedro Leão Neto (FAUP) Susana Ventura (FAUP / CEAU) Andreia Alves de Oliveira (Photographer, PhD) PROGRAMMING Susana Ventura Andreia Alves de Oliveira INVITED ARTISTS | KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Armin Linke Elsa Brès Elisa Pasqual Marco Ferrari ORGANIZATION AND PRODUCTION Diana Senra Sara Lino COMMUNICATION FAUP / CEAU and Sophia Journal / scopio Editions DATE 28 and 29 September 2022 PLACE The Conference will be held in person at FAUP (Auditório Fernando Távora) on the 28th of September and online via zoom on the 29th of September Zoom Link https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/89009331832?pwd=EncaL2AKR9R4Xp8TTCi0_6fuE4rvG9.1 ID: 890 0933 1832 Password: 400033 LANDSCAPES OF CARE: THE EMERGENCE OF LANDSCAPES OF CARE IN UNSTABLE TERRITORIES For the 7th issue of Sophia Journal and first issue in the cycle, we focused on the emergence of landscapes of care in unstable territories. These territories may be, but are not exclusive to: the desert, the icy lands, the rainy forests; territories within uncertain boundaries, e.g. between land and water; territories inhabited by native communities; territories that dramatically alter their configuration due to extreme weather conditions and scarce resources, or which natural resources are violently exploited and violated. Such territories hold vital information about patterns of resistance, flexibility, transformation and metamorphosis, enlightening the problems of vulnerability and resilience in the unforeseen future while opening up new perspectives of design, including new ways of poetically inhabiting the world as a place of encounter between species (following Haraway’s motto “staying with the trouble” and Guattari’s demand: “We need new social and aesthetic practices, new practices of the Self in relation to the other, to the foreign, the stranger”), protecting the ecosystems and understanding architecture, more than the distribution of spaces, as the distribution of the sensible. The Sophia Journal International Conference will present a live and videoconference program organised by CEAU / FAUP and the event will encompass a rich and diverse program meaning: (i) Live screening of films related with Sophia´s comprehensive call and a round-table with invited authors; (ii) Online Conference with presentation of articles and visual essays structured in two panels for discussion. The global objective of these international forums is to promote the reflection and debate on the universes of Architecture, Art and Image, addressing various issues transversal to the worlds of Photography and Architecture, exploring how the image can be a means to cross borders and shift boundaries between different disciplinary areas.
7th Sophia Journal International Conference - 28 - 29 Sep. | FAUP
Sophia Journal Vol. 7 | Landscapes of Care: the emergence of landscapes of care in unstable territories | Editors: Susana Ventura and Andreia Alves de Oliveira | Guest Editor: Armin Linke. 1. Armin Linke, Lake Assal, extraction of salt, Djibouti, Africa, 2012. Courtesy Armin Linke and Vistamare / Vistamarestudio, Pescara / Milano. International Conference: 28 - 29 September 2022 Manuscript deadline (Journal): 5 September 2022 Publication date (tbc): by December 2022 Sophia Journal is currently accepting submissions for its third thematic cycle “Landscapes of Care”, addressing contemporary photography and visual practices that focus on how architecture understood in a wide sense can help to heal a broken planet. The concept of “Landscapes of Care” has increasingly been adopted by diverse areas of study, from health geography to the arts and architecture. It allows us to understand architecture, city and territory as living and inclusive organisms, constituted by multifaceted landscapes with complex social and organisational spatialities which embody the difference and the other, the strange, the unfamiliar, the indigenous, the human and the non-human. Our aim is to explore the ways in which the image can be used as a meaningful instrument of research about the multifaceted complex socioeconomic, political, historical, technical and ecological dimensions of architecture, city and territory that testify, question or emerge from those relationships of care. For the 7th issue of Sophia Journal and first issue in the cycle, we are focusing on the emergence of landscapes of care in unstable territories. These territories may be, but are not exclusive to: the desert, the icy lands, the rainy forests; territories within uncertain boundaries, e.g. between land and water; territories inhabited by native communities; territories that dramatically alter their configuration due to extreme weather conditions and scarce resources, or which natural resources are violently exploited and violated. Such territories hold vital information about patterns of resistance, flexibility, transformation and metamorphosis, enlightening the problems of vulnerability and resilience in the unforeseen future while opening up new perspectives of design, including new ways of poetically inhabiting the world as a place of encounter between species (following Haraway’s motto “staying with the trouble” and Guattari’s demand: “We need new social and aesthetic practices, new practices of the Self in relation to the other, to the foreign, the stranger”), protecting the ecosystems and understanding architecture, more than the distribution of spaces, as the distribution of the sensible. Accepted submissions engage with the issues above in the form of theoretical papers, visual essays, interviews, and critical reviews of publications, exhibitions, and conferences. A first selection of theoretical papers and visual essays abstracts took place in order to be presented at the International Conference we are helding in connection with the 7th issue of Sophia Journal. This will take place at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto (FAUP) and it will encompass a live and videoconference programme organised by the Centre for Studies in Architecture and Urbanism (CEAU) at FAUP, in partnership with other institutions to be announced. Submission instructions (closed) To submit your proposal please send a 500-word abstract (including references and a maximum of five images) and a short bio for each author (up to 70 words each) by the 27th of December 2021. Submission of abstracts is done through our OJS platform, by registering and submitting at: https://www.up.pt/revistas/index.php/sophia/index Selected authors will be notified by the 1st of February 2022 and will be expected to deliver a full paper (between 3000 to 6000 words) or a visual essay (length between 6 to 8 pages, plus text between 500 to 1000 words), by the 28th of March 2022. After the conference authors will be asked to edit their papers or visual essays based on reviewers comments and the issues raised with the debates that have taken place sending the new version for publication until end of October, 2021. Please note that all theoretical papers will be subject to peer review. The other modalities of submissions we publish (visual essays, interviews and critical reviews) are not subjected to peer review. Acceptance of an abstract in any of these modalities does not guarantee publication. For guidelines on the submission process and our editorial policies, please visit our website at: https://www.up.pt/revistas/index.php/sophia/index For any queries: Please contact our Editors at info.sophiajournal@arq.up.pt About Sophia Journal We are an academic, peer-reviewed journal, published by the Centre for Studies in Architecture and Urbanism (CEAU) / research group Architecture, Art and Image (AAI) at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Porto, Portugal. Created in 2016, Sophia Journal publishes theoretical articles and visual essays that investigate and think critically the intersections between the image and architecture. We understand both terms in a wide sense: the image of photography, painting, drawing, cinema, video, T.V., new media; and architecture as landscape, territory, city, spatiality, built environment.
FAUP Announces the Release of Vol. 6 of Sophia Journal (Open access)
Vol. 6 of Sophia Journal Visual Spaces of Change: photographic documentation of environmental transformations published articles addressing the following global issues: How do we all become aware of the gradual, but inescapable changes in the environment? How does photography raise public awareness of the pressing environmental changes implicit in our anthropocentric epoch? How can photography contribute to these complex debates? These issues were addressed from several perspectives: from confronting our memories and understandings of a place to reactivating ‘what is no longer there’ or proposing ‘what could be there’. This volume brings together photographers and researchers who make significant contributions to these discussions, including the material processes of creating, managing and interpreting sets of documents. We are publishing work where photography is explored as a significant research tool for critical and innovative views on architecture and urban transformation in their expanded fields and contextualized by larger systems: cultural, political, artistic, technical, and historical dimensions. In this context, the works which are presented in Sophia question how the different dimensions of architecture and urban transformation may be meaningfully understood or reframed through the different lenses and perspectives of visual processes. Editorial Team Wilfried Wang (UTSoA) Guest Editor Jorge Marum (CIAUD-UBI) Leonor Matos Silva (Dinâmia’CET, ISCTE-IUL) Carolina Leite (CEAU / FAUP) Carlos Machado e Moura (CEAU / FAUP) Maria Neto (CEAU / FAUP - UBI) Editor-in-chief Pedro Leão Neto
Sophia Journal Vol. 6 International Conference
International Conference - 6th number of Sophia Journal - Visual Spaces of Change: photographic documentation of environmental transformations took place on the 21 and 22 of May - FAUP | 2021. Online access to Conference MORNING SESSION – 21 MAY - OPENING SESSION | PANEL #1 AFTERNOON SESSION – 21 MAY - PANEL #2 | PANEL #3 MORNING SESSION | 22 MAY - PANEL #4 EXHIBITION at FAUP Abstract The International Conference for SOPHIA #6 took place at the Faculty of Architecture of University of Porto (FAUP), continuing the annual cycle of international forums on a specific theme. Sophia Journal´s International Conference consisted of a live and video conference programme organized by CEAU / FAUP in partnership with other institutions and the event will be held online and access to the Conference Room will only be possible to the organising team. Encompassing a rich and diverse programme around: (i) roundtables for each panel concerning a focused topic coming from Sophia´s comprehensive call; (ii) presentation of articles submitted; (iii) the opening of Visual Spaces of Change: photographic documentation of environmental transformations exhibition using the VSC Mobile Projector. The contents of the exhibition will also be online soon and the exhibition experience is registered purely for research purposes, being analysed in the context of the ongoing Visual Spaces of Change: photographic documentation of environmental transformations articles and research. The global objective of these international forums is to promote the reflection and debate on the universes of architecture, art and image, addressing various issues transversal to the worlds of photography and architecture, exploring how the image can be a means to cross borders and shift boundaries between different disciplinary areas. Programme The programme of Visual Spaces of Change: photographic documentation of environmental transformations comprises a set of roundtables on which it will be possible to address and debate the following issues: · How do we all become aware of the gradual, but inescapable changes in the environment? · How does photography raise public awareness of the pressing environmental changes implicit in our anthropocentric epoch? · How can photography contribute to these complex debates? These issues can be addressed from several perspectives: from confronting our memories and understandings of a place to reactivating ‘what is no longer there’ or proposing ‘what could be there’. The objective is to challenge our understanding on how contemporary photography can be explored as a meaningful instrument of research about today processes of urban change and architectural spaces, producing visual synthesis about how architectures, places and spaces are used and lived, rendering visible aspects which are difficult to perceive without the purposeful use of image and photography. We believe that this conference will make significant contributions to these discussions, including the material processes of creating, managing and interpreting sets of documents. We are interested in material processes where photography is explored as a significant research tool for critical and innovative views on architecture and urban transformation in their expanded fields and contextualized by larger systems: cultural, political, artistic, technical, and historical dimensions. The 4 roundtables of the conference´s global theme - photographic documentation of environmental transformations - will be held online on the 21 and 22 of May 2021 hosted by the organising team at room CCR0.1 – FAUP – and will cover the following topics: Photographing the altered identity of landscapes There is a challenge when using photography as both an inquiry tool and artistic form of expression for representing landscapes, which entails uncovering their physical, cultural, social and political marks as well as their identity, their perceived uniqueness as places. Landscapes are territories transformed by human action and, as such, they reveal the understanding and values of past and present societies and how we are transforming the environment. According to Lefebvre (La production de l’espace, 1974), one of the ways of conditioning social reproduction occurs through the economic and political restriction of a group accessing space, thus it is vital to call our attention to how landscapes are being significantly transformed, conditioned and controlled. How can we understand landscapes and their identity in the contemporary transformation processes resulting from the dynamics of change and disrupting habits of our societies? Photographic narratives of urban transformations Time, space, scale and movement are essential aspects of visual data production. Significant changes in cities’ flows can transpire in just a few minutes, hours or days, span several years or even decades. A diachronic study of an urban environment could concentrate on the repetitive patterns of many activities and phenomena that occur during a day or focus on transformations over much more extensive periods of time. Several photographic methods explicitly focus on sequentially researching social change and cultural expressions as they develop, over time in a particular space. Yet, art-based communication approaches express insights in more experimental ways, from ‘visual essays’ to digital storytelling, photo-novels, sometimes using pre-existing images, and even non-photographic ones. Boosted by new media technologies and networking opportunities, they are powerful contemporary vehicles for voicing and visualizing our reflections, ideas, arguments, experiences, and observations upon change, from manifestos to critical reviews, or just compelling stories. Digital spectacle and its impact on architecture and the architectural image As some argue that architecture is too slow for the digital revolution1, the resurrection of the collage, appeared as a viable strategy to critically reclaim architecture's place: one that, unlike simulations of binary realities, was to be a raw and ambiguous like an ‘open project’, even if computer simulated. Due to its success, the collage has been taken over by the market for its ‘arresting novelty’. As a commodity, it compensates for architecture's slow pace: faster to produce and consume, less related to the disciplinary process of the conception, more evocative and less ideological. To some, the ‘collage era’ represents the return of a richer, stronger profession2 while some claim they are blank postcards of a post-idealistic age, one where built quality rarely holds up. At a time when the true cost of globalization, consumption and constant growth is under discussion, should architecture embrace speed or is there the need for a counter-model? Photographic documentation of environmental transformations: Visual Essay We have invited two authors and their visual essays that address the issue of photographic documentation of environmental transformation from different perspectives and visual constructs. On the one hand, to challenge our understanding on how contemporary photography can be explored as a meaningful instrument of research about today processes of urban change and architectural spaces. On the other hand, to discuss the material processes where photography is explored as a significant research tool for critical and innovative views on architecture and urban transformation. Keynote Lecture: Epics of the Everyday The keynote lecture will look at the historic and ongoing relationship between documentary photography and architecture through the lens of the ever-changing notion of realism. Opening Session, Invited Speakers and Moderators This edition of the International Conference Visual Spaces of Change: photographic documentation of environmental transformations for this 6th number of Sophia Journal brings together a diverse group of researchers, architects, visual artists, and curators of international relevance, in an exercise of joint reflexivity about photographic documentation of environmental transformation from different perspectives and visual constructs. The talks held at this conference will allow the introduction of a number of issues that are not necessarily foreseen in the initial programme of the conference, enabling an active dialogue between researchers, authors and the public, contributing to the identification of new avenues of research and artistic expression related to how photography can be explored as a meaningful instrument of research about today processes of urban change and architectural spaces. CONFERENCE PROGRAMME 21 MAY 2021 09:30 OPENING SESSION João Pedro Xavier (Director of FAUP) Pedro Leão Neto - Wilfried Wang 10:00 PANEL #1 Chairs / moderators: Carolina Leite + Carlos Machado e Moura Presentation: Digital spectacle and its impact on architecture and the architectural image (CL) Presentation: Photographic narratives of urban transformations (CMM) 10:30 (44) Vítor Alves: Copy/Paste: for today we save JPEG’s and browse PNG’s 10:45 (13) Marcin Piekałkiewicz: Production of space in the photographic work of Naoya Hatakeyama 11:00 (06) Giuseppe Resta: Landscape transformations in Albania. A photographic survey on the traces of Italian travellers in the Balkans 11:15 (24) Luciano Bernardino da Costa: Verticalization: Photographic Explorations of Complex Urban Phenomena 11:30 (35) Jazmin Charalambous: How can photography reveal the effects of corporatisation on public spaces in London, and further, how can it contribute to the creation of proposals that intervene in this process? (Wembley Park) 11:45 - 12:30 ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION #1 12:30 - 14:00 LUNCH BREAK 14:00 KEYNOTE LECTURE Jesus Vassallo Epics in the Everyday 14:45 PANEL #2 Chair / moderator – Carlos Machado e Moura 15:00 (20) Paulo Catrica, Rui Mendes: Models, Plans, Clusters &amp; Pine Trees: Vila Nova de Santo André 1971-2021 15:15 (40) Haode Sun, Visual Misalignment: Faster Modernity and Slower Modernity: Photographic Documentation of Contemporary Urban Transformation in Shanghai 15:30 (14) Beatriz Duarte: Experimental persistence of change: a collage of palimpsestic temporalities of the Thermoelectric Power Station of Freixo (Campanhã, Porto) 15:45 (29) Chloé Darmon: Archiving the abandoned washhouses of Oporto following the paths of washerwomen: a history of a women’s practice in the modern urban space 16:00 - 16:30 ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION #2 16:30 - 16:35 BREAK 16:35 PANEL #3 Chair / moderator – Jorge Marum Presentation: Photographing the altered identity of landscapes 16:50 (04) Alla Lafonina, Vera Laponkina: Sacred place 17:05 (12) Luca Donner, Francesca Sorcinelli: Replacing urban identity: the disappearance of Sha’biya Al Safa Neighbourhood 17:20 (45) Yara A. Khalf, Ahmed El Antably, Mona A. Abdelwahab: A Walk Through Urban Decay: Is Al-Hattaba Worth Saving? 17:35 (19) Ana Roberti, Helena Santos, Daniel Brandão, From intimacy to urban landscape: images of the transformations of the Rainha Dona Leonor social housing 17:50 (28) Gil Mualem-Doron, Present Absentees 18:05 - 18:40 ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION #3 22 MAY 2021 11:00 ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION #4 Chair / moderator – Wilfried Wang Photographic documentation of environmental transformations: Visual Essay Inaki Bergera Pedro Leão Neto 12:30 CLOSING SESSION ORGANIZATION EXECUTIVE COMMITEE Pedro Leão Neto (FAUP) - Wilfried Wang (UTSoA) PROGRAMMING Carolina Leite (CEAU / FAUP) Carlos Machado e Moura (CEAU / FAUP) Jorge Marum (CIAUD-UBI) Leonor Matos Silva (Dinâmia’CET, ISCTE-IUL) Maria Neto (CEAU / FAUP - UBI) Pedro Leão Neto (CEAU / FAUP) Wilfried Wang (UTSoA) ORGANISATION AND PRODUCTION Miguel Santos (AAI / FAUP / VSC) Sara Mota (scopio Editions) Frederico Martinho (AAI / FAUP / VSC) COMMUNICATION FAUP / CEAU and Sophia Journal / scopio Editions SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Álvaro Domingues (FAUP/ CEAU) Ana Janeiro Andreia Oliveira Eduarda Neves (ESAP) Fernando Zaparaín (GIR UVa | ESPACIAR) Gabriela Vaz-Pinheiro (FBAUP / i2ADS) Gisela Lameira (FAUP/ CEAU) Isa Clara Neves (CES / CEAU / FAUP) Iñaki Bergera (Arquitectura / UNIZAR) João Carlos Ferreira (UFP - AAI / CEAU / FAUP) Jorge Marum (UBI - AAI / CEAU) José Alberto Lage (FAUP/ CEAU) José Carneiro (FBAUP / i2ADS) José Maças de Carvalho (DARQ) José Manuel Barbosa (FAUP / FBAUP / i2ADS) Jorge Jular (GIR UVa | ESPACIAR) Margarida Medeiros (FCSH) Mário Mesquita (FAUP / FBAUP / i2ADS) Mark Durden (USW / eCDR) Miguel Leal (FBAUP / i2ADS) Olívia da Silva (P.PORTO / ESMAD) Rui Lourosa (ESAP) Susana Lourenço Marques (FBAUP / i2ADS) Susana Ventura (FAUP / CEAU) Teresa Ferreira (FAUP/ CEAU) Victor dos Reis (FBAUL) CONFERENCE TEAM Carolina Leite (CEAU / FAUP) Carlos Machado e Moura (CEAU / FAUP) Jorge Marum (CIAUD-UBI) Leonor Matos Silva (Dinâmia’CET, ISCTE-IUL) Maria Neto (CEAU / FAUP - UBI) Pedro Leão Neto (CEAU / FAUP) Wilfried Wang (UTSoA) Frederico Martinho (AAI / FAUP / VSC) João Carlos Ferreira (UFP - AAI / CEAU / FAUP) Miguel Santos (AAI / CEAU / FAUP) Sara Lino (scopio Edition) ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Né Santelmo PRINT AND WEBDESIGN Sara Lino (scopio Edition) EXIBITION PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECTS Curated by Visual Spaces of Change Frederico Martinho (AAI / FAUP / VSC) Miguel Santos (AAI / FAUP / VSC) Sara Mota (scopio Editions) The conference will be conducted in English. Support for dissemination: U. Porto - Common House. | Marques da Silva Foundation and Northern Regional Section of the Order of Architects (OASRN).