Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SURBANIN (Surface for Urban Innovation: The Politics of Designing Poverty in Colombia and Czechia)
Reporting period: 2021-09-01 to 2023-08-31
According to the United Nations, approximately 30% of the inhabitants of cities in the global South live in "slums," i.e. self-built settlements constructed by inhabitants on illegally occupied land using only locally available materials. Therefore, we may claim that the slums of the global South represent what is considered homelessness in the global North. A recent report by the European Federation of National Organizations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA) states that, with the exception of Finland, homelessness has increased sharply across Europe in recent years. Alongside more established European and national policies, social innovations have played an increasingly important role in efforts to tackle the issue. A number of schools, collectives, and studios have adopted architecture, art, and design (AAD) as a means to transform the material environments of poor communities in the global South, a trend that is also visible in the global North. However, while they have had some positive impact, such as empowering local populations and improving their mobility within the city, it seems that these innovations and interventions do not eliminate poverty but rather redesign it.
The SURBANIN project compares self-built settlements in Colombia with homeless communities in Czechia to establish a new understanding of how innovations globally emerge and travel (e.g. North-North or North-South). In this regard, it addresses the EU's former ninth regional and urban development policy priority (2014-2020) "promoting social inclusion, combating poverty, and any discrimination," alongside a number of the United Nations' goals articulated in The 2030 Agenda: Sustainable Development. In doing so, the project critically contributes to the interdisciplinary discussion about the strategies and tools for tackling urban poverty and inequality in the world today.
The SURBANIN project compares self-built settlements in Colombia with homeless communities in Czechia to establish a new understanding of how innovations globally emerge and travel (e.g. North-North or North-South). In this regard, it addresses the EU's former ninth regional and urban development policy priority (2014-2020) "promoting social inclusion, combating poverty, and any discrimination," alongside a number of the United Nations' goals articulated in The 2030 Agenda: Sustainable Development. In doing so, the project critically contributes to the interdisciplinary discussion about the strategies and tools for tackling urban poverty and inequality in the world today.
During the project, the researcher focused on three case studies of different forms, scales, and materialities: macromurals, Iglou shelters for homeless people, and homeless encampments. Numerous interviews and observations were conducted in the project's field sites, including Colombia and Czechia, as well as in several other countries such as France, the Netherlands, Egypt, or Indonesia, where the researcher followed the spatial and temporal connections of the case studies.
Macromurals have emerged as a major trend in recent years, where various actors collaborate to transform communities in cities of the Global South by painting their physical environment. To gain a deeper understanding, the researcher presented this phenomenon at two significant international conferences, shedding light on how macro-paintings have evolved and spread across Latin American countries over time. Based on interviews about 18 individual projects across 6 countries, conducted by 8 different collectives, the researcher analyzed narratives regarding the differently perceived histories of these projects. Instead of focusing on determining which narrative is true or who might be misrepresenting the facts, the researcher explored the practical implications of ruptures in inspiration and mobility. Drawing on geographical approaches to policy mobility and some conceptual tools from the sociology of organization, the goal was to demonstrate how these ruptures offer the potential for novelty in the artistic and urban policy domain. By doing so, we can gain a better understanding of the potential impacts of macro-paintings on cities.
The project's theoretical and conceptual understanding, as well as its specific empirical results, served as the crucial basis for teaching an undergraduate course. This course, dedicated to urban affairs across the globe and their possible solutions, introduced Iglou, a small-scale shelter for homeless people designed for sleeping during cold winter nights in France, and its journey to Czechia. It told the story of how and why in French cities, the innovation faced criticism, and its implementation and dissemination were rather unsuccessful, while in Czech cities, it became a popular measure that led to further expansion to other countries in Europe and beyond. By examining the sociocultural and technological conditions of Iglou before its expansion, the course provided critical insights into how a minor design intervention can evolve into a globalizing best practice. Last but not least, the course also served as a platform for scholars that the researcher had met across all the countries where the project was active, including Colombia, Czechia, Germany, and the United States.
Additionally, some of the research thoughts, particularly those related to homeless encampments, have already been published in a journal. Together with a colleague, the researchers used the framework provided by this project to examine the operation of homeless encampments as a part of governance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on repeated instances and a comparison of the socio-material and affective entanglements of operating two emergency encampments, the article argues that affective atmospheres play a vital role in their practical operations and perceived outcomes. While no simple dichotomy is implied, in Pilsen, order was implemented through a surveillance logic that instigated conflicts and created an atmosphere of frustration, while in Prague, the benevolence and mutuality of people in the camp led to a relaxed atmosphere. The article introduces the notion of 'governed by atmospheres' and argues that it opens space for a more complex and nuanced examination of the unintended outcomes of particular policies and politics in homelessness governance.
Macromurals have emerged as a major trend in recent years, where various actors collaborate to transform communities in cities of the Global South by painting their physical environment. To gain a deeper understanding, the researcher presented this phenomenon at two significant international conferences, shedding light on how macro-paintings have evolved and spread across Latin American countries over time. Based on interviews about 18 individual projects across 6 countries, conducted by 8 different collectives, the researcher analyzed narratives regarding the differently perceived histories of these projects. Instead of focusing on determining which narrative is true or who might be misrepresenting the facts, the researcher explored the practical implications of ruptures in inspiration and mobility. Drawing on geographical approaches to policy mobility and some conceptual tools from the sociology of organization, the goal was to demonstrate how these ruptures offer the potential for novelty in the artistic and urban policy domain. By doing so, we can gain a better understanding of the potential impacts of macro-paintings on cities.
The project's theoretical and conceptual understanding, as well as its specific empirical results, served as the crucial basis for teaching an undergraduate course. This course, dedicated to urban affairs across the globe and their possible solutions, introduced Iglou, a small-scale shelter for homeless people designed for sleeping during cold winter nights in France, and its journey to Czechia. It told the story of how and why in French cities, the innovation faced criticism, and its implementation and dissemination were rather unsuccessful, while in Czech cities, it became a popular measure that led to further expansion to other countries in Europe and beyond. By examining the sociocultural and technological conditions of Iglou before its expansion, the course provided critical insights into how a minor design intervention can evolve into a globalizing best practice. Last but not least, the course also served as a platform for scholars that the researcher had met across all the countries where the project was active, including Colombia, Czechia, Germany, and the United States.
Additionally, some of the research thoughts, particularly those related to homeless encampments, have already been published in a journal. Together with a colleague, the researchers used the framework provided by this project to examine the operation of homeless encampments as a part of governance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on repeated instances and a comparison of the socio-material and affective entanglements of operating two emergency encampments, the article argues that affective atmospheres play a vital role in their practical operations and perceived outcomes. While no simple dichotomy is implied, in Pilsen, order was implemented through a surveillance logic that instigated conflicts and created an atmosphere of frustration, while in Prague, the benevolence and mutuality of people in the camp led to a relaxed atmosphere. The article introduces the notion of 'governed by atmospheres' and argues that it opens space for a more complex and nuanced examination of the unintended outcomes of particular policies and politics in homelessness governance.
As the idea of macro-painting has spread, an increasing number of cities in Latin America, Africa, and South Asia have realized, supported, or enabled some form of large painting in their territory since the beginning of the 2010s. The more paintings there are, the more diverse the conditions and motivations under which they are realized. While all these paintings might seem similar, they have, in fact, very different terms and are created under dissimilar political and social circumstances with distinct goals and, as a result, impacts. Thus, it is reasonable to approach them as diverse types of macro-scale paintings, of which macromurals are one form.
Recently, the idea of macromurals is slowly entering the European space: the knowledge gathered by the project is being introduced to public art managers in Czechia, and discussions about the possible implementation of a macro-mural in the European context are underway.
The results of this research have been continuously presented to the public via the project's Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/surbanin). These materials will be crucial content for an international exhibition that aims to introduce these topics to the public and address some of the stereotypes associated with poverty and inequality in the current world.
Recently, the idea of macromurals is slowly entering the European space: the knowledge gathered by the project is being introduced to public art managers in Czechia, and discussions about the possible implementation of a macro-mural in the European context are underway.
The results of this research have been continuously presented to the public via the project's Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/surbanin). These materials will be crucial content for an international exhibition that aims to introduce these topics to the public and address some of the stereotypes associated with poverty and inequality in the current world.