A new invitation to celebrate the streets of Bello Monte occurred Saturday July 6, as part of the More Night Caracas initiative organized by Ciudad Laboratorio. Enlace Foundation was invited to disseminate the program "Integration Process Caracas” that is taking place in the informal settlement La Palomera, and invites people to reflect on the real and symbolic integration of the city, overcoming distinctions between the "formal" and "informal" city.
The Nature of Cities Summit took place for the very first time at Sorbonne University, Jussieu Marie Curie campus in Paris France on June 6, 2019. Organized by David Maddox and a very capable multidisciplinary team of artists, ecologists, activists, landscape architects and planners, the summit presented several discussion panels focusing on different aspects of a green city. Elisa participated in a panel together with David Simon -London and Cape Town, Fish Yu-Shenzhen and Samarth Das-Mumbai where they spoke about making livable places.
On Saturday, May 25, the "Mobile Museum" event and the traditional celebration of the Cruz de Mayo in the community of La Palomera, were held as part of the program Integration in Process Caracas, (IPC) whose intention is to generate recognition processes of the barrio as part of the city.
The event began with a procession of the La Palomera model from Bolívar Square in Baruta to the La Cruz de La Palomera sector, followed by a conversation with the barrio´s founding families and Baruta's chronicler; the celebration of Cruz de Mayo; presentations and exhibitions of art workshops held with various community groups as a result of the call for proposals among artists "Art and community, proposals for integration." Another component of the celebration that was rescued from previous edition was the organization of games and competitions among the children of the community. As part of the exhibition, videos were presented with testimonies from the community, a record of the IPC program and fragments of novels and movies filmed at La Palomera. The Manifesto to the Complete City was read in front of the whole community, followed by a sancocho that was shared among all.
The event unites the efforts of many: Enlace Foundation, Ciudad Laboratorio, Fundación Bigott, Puntos Solidarios soup kitchen, Alcaldía Baruta, Laboratorio Ciudadano de No Violencia Activa, Ensayo Colectivo, Taller Cuadernillos, Taller Verde, Colegio Miguel José Sanz, Colegio Concentración 094, Liceo Alejo Fortique y Preescolar Manuel Felipe Rugeles.
Elisa is part of a conversation initiated by Agustín Schang and Laura González that explores contemporary architecture models operating Across the Americas. The group was comprised by Julian Palacio, Jorge Ambrosi & Gabriela Etchegaray, Rafael Gamo, Elisa Silva and Maite Borjabad Lopez-Pastor. Agustin and Laura later summarized the content of the discussions:
“They addressed topics about materiality & tectonics as tools for identity, the afterlife of projects, the act of representation affected by geographic and cultural contexts, visual narratives & composing of an image, circulation of references in the construction of power, landscapes of opportunity, heritage, counterflow: from north to south on how to build a practice and what happens to nonreciprocal timing and the times of inequality we are living - this not to search for a "common ground", but to reveal some of the interactions and movements of the different architectures and environments of the Americas. Seeking to elevate the quality and understanding of our built environment, spark lively conversations, trigger an ongoing exchange, and to think about the future by extending our interests beyond the object with four walls.”
"Art, Pedagogy and City" is a series of events that are part of the project Integration Process Caracas. The discussions promote recognition of the barrio as part of the city.
This Thursday, April 25, we will have our fourth meeting titled "Transforming the city from the classroom." Teachers and educators from different schools and levels (both from inside and outside the barrio) are invited to talk about what recognition means. The event will culminate in brainstorming and planning sessions on the notion that “the barrio is city”.
We offer participants round trip transportation, refreshments and participation certificates. The event will begin in Plaza Bolívar de Baruta followed by a walk to the Concentration 094 School, in the La Cruz sector of La Palomera, where we will reflect on the nature of the city, followed by a workshop. The activity will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will end at 11:30 a.m.
Time in Practice: Keynote Lecture by Elisa Silva
Friday, April 19, 2019 at 6:00pm
40 Wooster Street New York, NY 10013
As part of the public programing for the 2019 Post-Professional Master of Architecture Thesis Exhibition, TOO FAST TOO SLOW, Architect and Princeton School of Architecture Visiting Lecturer, Elisa Silva, will discuss her work in terms of the exhibition's prompt of speed and the fortune, futility, and providence of time in practice.
If you were not able to join us in the Third Meeting of the series "Art Pedagogy and City" in La Palomera "Complete City, Overflowing City" you can watch the whole event here on our YouTube channel.
Community leaders together with people from the program Integration Process Caracas (Enlace Arquitectura Ciudad Laboratorio - ciudlab Fundación Bigott) created six different tours of La Palomera identifying spaces with the potential to be understood and projected in a way that is unique to the neighborhood, and that perhaps could even be envied. At the end of the tours, everyone shared their findings and celebrated playing and learning to play Bocci.
You are invited on Sunday, March 24, 2019, to the Third meeting of the "Art, pedagogy and city" lecture series.
“Complete city, overflowing city” is the title of the event. We invite everyone to come observe, understand and record spaces, while touring the La Palomera neighborhood in Baruta. There will be six different routes to discover places and situations with urban values we can begin to recognize.
The topics may be of interest to anyone who wants to join the construction of a complete city: architects, artists, urban designers, planners, urban planners, city activists, students and city lovers.
We are offering transportation from Plaza Altamira at 1:30 pm to the Plaza El Cristo in Baruta; and back at the end of the activity. Those who wish to go directly to Plaza El Cristo, may park on the service street of the Baruta Municipality building.
"Integration Process Caracas" promotes the recognition of the entire city by blurring borders, overstepping boundaries and generating opportunities for gatherings where we can experience integration.
We invite artists, creators and city lovers to participate in a co-creation experience with the community of La Palomera, Baruta. We are looking for people interested in working through a constant exchange with La Palomera´s neighbors to create interventions that manifest reflections on integration through art.
If you are interested in submitting a proposal visit the following link for more information.
On Saturday February 9, 2019 we continue with the second meeting of the series "Art, pedagogy and city", titled "Art as a mediation tool."
Artists, creators, journalists and neighbors of Caracas walked from the Plaza Bolívar de Baruta to the La Cruz sector in La Palomera. At the end a celebration of public space was done through a dance performance guided by Dora Peña.
The event is part of the initiative "Integration in process Caracas" sponsored by the Embassy of the United States in Venezuela, and organized by Ciudad Laboratorio, Enlace Fundación, Fundación Bigott, Baruta Municipality, Pre school Manuel Felipe Rugeles, Municipal School Miguel José Sanz and Soup Kitchen Punto Solidario La Palomera.
Laboratory City, Bigott Foundation, Municipality of Baruta, Puntos Solidarios, Manuel Felipe Rugeles Preschool, Miguel José Sanz Municipal School and Children's Dining Room Solidarity Point La Palomera.