Invitation to the Public Debate
Taksim, Tahrir, Occupy & Co
Session 1: Political Meaning of Urban Space
This is the first event in a debate series in collaboration with Dr. Nadine Godehardt, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik / German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), Berlin, focussing on the interdependencies between urban space, society and international politics in times of crisis.
This debate brings together speakers with different backgrounds (Architecture, Urban Planning, Political Theory, International Relations, etc.) to conceptually explore the political meaning of urban space with the aim to highlight how incidents in everyday urban spaces actually affect (inter-)national politics. A particular focus are civil resistance and protest movements (e.g. Arab Spring, Oranienburger Platz Berlin, Pegida movement in Dresden, Occupy Wall Street) that frequently occupy streets, public squares, financial and governmental districts or central city parks. Further up for discussion: To what extent has the increasing number of protests in urban spaces changed their signif icance in international politics? And what are the implications that result for local urban planning and urban design?
PROGRAMME
Welcome and Introduction
Hans-Jürgen Commerell, Director, ANCB The Aedes Metropolitan Laboratory, Berlin
Prof. Dr. Volker Perthes, Director, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), Berlin
Introduction
Dr. Nadine Godehardt, Deputy Head of Research Division Asia, SWP, Berlin
Statements
Prof. Regina Bittner, Head of Department Academy & Deputy Director, Bauhaus Dessau Foundation
Dr. Tali Hatuka, Head of the Laboratory for Contemporary Urban Design, Tel Aviv University
Prof. Ali Madanipour, Professor of Urban Design, Director of Global Urban Research Unit, Newcastle University
Dr. Simon Teune, Institute for Protest and Social Movement Studies, Berlin
Prof. Jaap de Wilde, Professor of International Relations and Security Studies, University of Groningen
Panel Discussion
moderated by Dr. Nadine Godehardt, Deputy Head of Research Division Asia, SWP, Berlin
The following Front-Row Peers will accompany and further the discussion:
Dr. Oliver Lembcke, Chair of the Political System of Germany, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Prof. Michael Mönninger, Professor of Aesthetics and Art History, Braunschweig University of Art
Dr. David Shim, Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations and International Organization, University of Groningen
Prof. Georg Vrachliotis, Professor for the Theory of Architecture, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Roman Wilhelm, Graphic De signer, Berlin
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Incidents on everyday urban spaces increasingly raise global attention. Civil resistance and protest movements frequently occupy public squares, financial and governmental districts or central city parks. People demonstrate against their national governments or join into spontaneously organized protests in support of (inter-)national issues. Images of demonstrations on Tahrir Square in Egypt (2011), Taksim Square in Turkey (2013), the Maidan in Ukraine (2013-4), of Occupy Wall Street (2011), the Sunflower-Movement in Taipei (2014), the Umbrella-Revolution in Hong Kong (2014) or the Pegida-Movement in Dresden (2015) strongly influence the global understanding of specific (inter-)national actors and crises situations. Everyday urban places are in the process of becoming icons of international politics that are interpreted very differently depending on the chosen viewpoint (European, Russian, Chinese, Media, Politics, etc.). They reveal new forms of political articulation that underscore the intertwining of everyday and international politics.
In a series of debates, participants from various backgrounds will discuss the interdependency of urban space, society, security, (inter)national politics and the economy – focussing on the visualization and new political meanings of urban space that go along with political protests and demonstrations.
The event will be in English. Admission is free upon registration at reply@ancb.de. We look forward to welcoming you.
Next Event: Taksim, Tahrir, Occupy & Co. Session 2: Visuality and Urban Space
Date: Thursday, 26 November 2015, 6:00 pm
Place: ANCB The Aedes Metropolitan Laboratory, Christinenstr. 18-19, 10119 Ber lin
Taksim, Tahrir, Occupy & Co. is part of the ANCB Programme The Politics of Spatial Practice. Curatorial Team at ANCB: Miriam Mlecek and Áine Ryan
This series is a collaboration with the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik and generously supported by the ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius, Hamburg and by the Forum Ebenhausen e.V. (Freundeskreis der Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, SWP).
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