This work was created as a response to an invitation from EME3 Architectural festival to create a work with various students at the Barcelona Architectural Festival. The proposed workshop was based on a creation of Varaform "cuticles" or "skins" of the backs of students and drawings of architectural ideas on these skins. The sites of the architectural ideas were "empty" lots and derelict buildings in the neighbourhood. The aim of the workshop was to rethink these empty zones and their role in the urban fabric [see: wwww.eme3workshop.org]. However, because of a lack of students the workshop didn't take place and instead I was invited to create in a very short time an art work for a designated place at Can Fellipa former wine warehouse. The work "Poble Nou's Raw Architecture" was a room-installation that was based on a 3 day photographic project I undertook in the area. The photographs were presented in four groups under the titles: Peeled Skin is the order of the new. Dirty Skin is a mark of life. Porous skin is the form of being. p.s. city (well done architecture) The photography research project, which formed a part of the room installation, looked critically at the rapid transformation of Pablo Nou, a former industrial area and a working class neighbourhood; the effects of the global city syndrome on the development of the area; at the new and warring environment that was created by the redevelopment, and the traces of resistance to or transgression of this controversial model of development. The photographs were projected onto Varaform "skins" in the shapes of backs and onto a wall. The skins themselves were mashed with fragments of the maps of the former industrial area and peeling aluminum foil. The skins were hung in front of the projector obstructing the beam and casting shadows on the projected image. At the same time the projector beam illuminated their peeling layers of the area's map fragments and pieces of aluminum foil. The room installation referred to the limited possibility of understanding the situation and the area only by photographic presentation, as well as dealing with the power relationship of the gaze, the concept of discovery, resistance for tourism and global capitalism and a critique of the documentary project itself. I felt that it was important to present this critique exactly to show an awareness of the role of EME3 in "putting on the map" the area of Poble Neo, the role of architects in this gentrification project, and the fact that it was sponsored by several of the agencies that pushes this development of the area. Links for information about Poble Nou: http://www2.arnes.si/~uljfarh5/kriznik_noal22@.pdf http://www.noventaytres.com/en/contents/poblenou.html http://straddle3.net/context/03/en/2005_06_10.html http://www.salvemcanricart.org/ http://straddle3.net/context/03/en/2005_07_15.html
	View a slideshow presentation of Poble Nou's Raw Architecture