This exhibition of performative writings, readings, and curations brings together multiple ‘site-writings’ by participants in the Theorising Practices/Practising Theories module, as part of the MA Architectural History and MA Situated Practice at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, led by Jane Rendell, developed out of her own site-writing practice, with curatorial supervision from module tutor Dr Polly Gould. Dr David Roberts is also a core tutor on the module, while writer Sarah Butler, artist-poet Professor Kristen Krieder, artist-curator-writer Professor Simon Morris, and graphic designer Marit Munzberg contribute workshops and talks.
The site-writings explore tensions both found and made in writing architecture at the edge. Through three iterative re-situations, we hope to bring new readings to both the works and their new liminal locations. Curatorial reflections on how the themes of Gutter, Margin and Index explored through these projects has affected our reading of the work, and of the three sites.
Gutter
curated by Joanne Preston
The Bartlett School of Architecture, Here East, Stratford
The gutter can be a lonely and precarious place to be situated. Whether in-between the public and the domestic, class, racial or gender binaries, to occupy this space is to be out of place and not quite belong. In this moment of increased polarisation, the in-between can also be understood as space that holds optimism and promise. It is from here that we can understand multiple points of view, making it an important place from which to mediate, form new connections and build empathy.
Index
curated by Rachel Siobhan Tyler
The Bartlett School of Architecture, 22 Gordon St, UCL
Colour, texture, language, and the photograph, act as signs in these ‘site-writings’, which point to physical and sensory features of sites- whether these be architectural, artwork or emotional or philosophical concepts. The use of an ‘index’ questions what it is to ‘write’ site.
Margin
curated by Lili Zarzycki
Urban Room, Folkestone
Whether interdisciplinary, creative-critical, autobiographical, or otherwise situated, the ‘site-writing’ seminar is a space that makes those practices that are marginalised by the academy central. Despite the dynamics of care that we share in such a space, writing at the edge nevertheless constitutes a vulnerability. This exhibition brings the work to bear with exposure as a wilful vulnerability, as it opens to the eyes of the public and to criticism, as well as the weathering sea.
