EMERGING PATHS
Self-initiated Project with Charly Blodel, Matilde Losi, Edoardo Tedone and
Open Design School Matera
Over the last 60 years, Matera went from being a site in appalling conditions to a cultural site of great value and a testing ground for an economic model capable of revitalizing Southern Italy. And as mesmerising pictures of the historic centre—Rione Sassi—draw in more and more visitors, over the past few years the city has been living under the spotlight of the tourism industry. Nonetheless, as it is increasingly framed as a tourist attraction, its landscape is divided between global and local stages; between permanent and temporary residents.
The appointment as European Capital of Culture 2019, therefore, represents a critical juncture for the city, as it is called upon to question what it means to be a site of global interest. And it is precisely in this that design can play a role by investigating models of coexistence and opening up reflections on interactive ecosystems.
How can we move beyond the linear image of Matera only as a tourist destination? How can we imagine a dynamic volume able to encourage instead, cultural exchanges? What will remain after the appointment as the European Capital of Culture will pass to another city? During the one week workshop, participants explored and map out the city in its local and global dimensions, using their bodies as a performative tool of investigation. Participants discovered Matera through local hosts, researchers and designers and gain an insider’s point of view to develop site-specific interventions during the workshop.
