Workshop - Repurposing the Architectural language of the Cold War

The narrative of socialist housing as an artifact of the Cold War often mirrors the narrative of socialism’s rise and fall, a utopian dream overtaken by the realities of social failures, decay, and obsolescence. Yet across the “brother countries”, this architecture faces an apparent contradiction between its symbolism through the image of heroic, monolithic form, and its afterlife as inhabited and transformed by people over the past decades.

This workshop explores how adaptation and complexity become visible and manifest differently on an international, national and individual level, depending on the point of view. Invited speakers will offer public lectures about relevant subjects of research and artistic production. In parallel, participants will learn techniques of observation, drawing, and storytelling to uncover and document narratives of change sited today within socialist-era mass housing.

The workshop is organized by Hanoi Ad Hoc, Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) and Goethe Institut under the framework of Hanoi Ad Hoc 2.0: Dwelling in Flux and Echos der Bruderländer, a three-year multi-disciplinary project carried out by Haus der Kulturen der Welt tracing circulations and imprints of socialism between the German Democratic Republic (GDR), and Cuba, Ghana, Mozambique, and Vietnam.

DESCRIPTION

1. Date and time: 05/09/2023 - 09/09/2023. 9am-5pm.

2. Location:

+ Goethe-Institut Hanoi.

+ Fieldwork at selected sites of socialist housing.

3. Participants: It is open for

+ All candidates, regardless of students or employed people, who are committed to participating in the full series

+ All disciplines including architecture, design, painting, social science, history, literature, anthropology, music, art, film, photography, etc.

4. Benefits for participants:

• Learning and exchanging with prestigious international scholars and artists.
• Receiving training sessions in research methodology and artistic production.
• Contributing to a multidisciplinary film project and future exhibition.
• Being provided with work space, materials, meals, and transportation for field trips during the time of the workshop.

*Note: For the participant who does not live in Hanoi, we will not support accommodation and transportation expenses, support only within the scope of the workshop's activities.

5. How to register:

Link for Registration: https://forms.gle/ejw1hDNoo46dW3wQA

Deadline for Registration: 25/08/2023.

Selected candidates will be notified by email on August 30, 2023.

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See more on our Website: https://www.hanoiadhoc.com/hahxhkwworkshop

See more about Echos der Bruderländer at: https://www.hkw.de/en/programme/echos-der-bruderlaender

For any inquiries, please email: hanoiadhoc@gmail.com

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Cre: Hà Nội Ad Hoc 

Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/hanoiadhoc