Students create short films about (non-)urban landscapes.
The one-week interdisciplinary workshop Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Program (BIP) took place for the third time last October, this time in Madrid with nearly 50 students from across Europe. Thirteen BA and Master’s students from the fields of art history, curatorial studies, and the Center for Critical Studies in Architecture at Goethe University Frankfurt participated.
Following inspiring BIPs in Lisbon on “Living in Lisbon” (2023) and Frankfurt on “Spatial Practices and Housing in Frankfurt” (2024), the cooperation between Goethe University and the architecture faculties of the universities in Lisbon and Madrid continued. This year, the host was the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. A new cooperation partner was Milan Polytechnic University’s architecture faculty.
Under the title Living Landscapes, the focus was on urban and non-urban landscapes and their unique significance and adaptability in the context of the climate crisis, historical cultural heritage, and social policy. The BIP explored the intersection of diverse interests and communities – including humans, animals, and plants, students from various continents (especially South America), residents, and tourists – within the framework of architecture, national and colonial history, art, and economics. A particularly enriching aspect was the dialogue between the varied theoretical and practical perspectives of architects, urban planners, landscape architects, art historians, and artists. The packed week-long program featured a mix of lectures, site-specific visits and walks with specialists, workshops, and museum visits.
The short films developed and produced by the students are currently on display at Museum Giersch as part of the exhibition Solastalgia. They showcase five natural and urban spaces in Madrid: (1) Casa de Campo, a former hunting ground for Spanish royalty, now the largest public park in Madrid with a rural character and extensive forested areas. (2) The Polytechnic University campus, designed as a self-contained district and later heavily influenced by Franco, featuring numerous faculties and dormitories separated by high fences. (3) Paisaje de la Luz, a neighborhood declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021, home to the Prado and Reina Sofia art museums and Retiro Park, which must now be preserved unchanged. (4) Madrid Río, the renaturalized riverbank, one of Europe’s largest urban greening projects, made possible by the kilometer-long tunneling of the city’s highway. (5) Cerro Almodóvar, a hill designated as a nature reserve and part of Madrid’s new metropolitan forest.
Stefanie Heraeus, Daniela Ortiz dos Santos, Carsten Ruhl
Info
– Center for Critical Studies in Architecture →
– Curatorial Studies →
– More information about the BIP Living Landscapes →
