Covid Niches
Global online talks and local direct action—a hybrid format to discover new urban situations generated by the COVID-19 crisis and explore their socio-political potential.
We live in an increasingly uncertain world where temporary is the new permanent. Traditional certainties dissolve, and change becomes commonplace. The flexibility, swiftness, adaptability, responsiveness and resilience allowed by temporary solutions is increasingly perceived not only as positive but, most importantly, radically necessary.
The systemic emergencies we are living with (social inequality, climate change and pandemics) only reinforce the relevance of ephemeral architecture. Moreover, the COVID-19 crisis has fast-tracked the need for a more dynamic approach to city planning and city making, capable of creatively addressing change and finding opportunities to improve the city amid our unpredictable reality.
COVID Niches is a collaborative online workshop that aims to explore the social potential of a temporary space design approach to public or common space, stressing the capabilities of ephemeral architecture to generate social cohesion, citizen engagement and collaborative interaction to reclaim the right to the city.
The workshop, involving students from MEATS Elisava (Barcelona) and PJAIT (Warsaw) had two phases. First, students identified COVID-19 Niches, i.e., novel uses of urban space that have appeared in response to the COVID-19 crisis. These new uses may be socially desirable (e.g., promote collaboration, respect and meaningful relationships) or, on the contrary, socially undesirable (e.g., promote segregation, bigotry and mistrust). Second, students intervened in these places through direct action, using their bodies or simple, every-day elements, in order to either consolidate their potential for socially desirable uses or to change the observed undesirable tendencies.
The systemic emergencies we are living with (social inequality, climate change and pandemics) only reinforce the relevance of ephemeral architecture. Moreover, the COVID-19 crisis has fast-tracked the need for a more dynamic approach to city planning and city making, capable of creatively addressing change and finding opportunities to improve the city amid our unpredictable reality.
COVID Niches is a collaborative online workshop that aims to explore the social potential of a temporary space design approach to public or common space, stressing the capabilities of ephemeral architecture to generate social cohesion, citizen engagement and collaborative interaction to reclaim the right to the city.
The workshop, involving students from MEATS Elisava (Barcelona) and PJAIT (Warsaw) had two phases. First, students identified COVID-19 Niches, i.e., novel uses of urban space that have appeared in response to the COVID-19 crisis. These new uses may be socially desirable (e.g., promote collaboration, respect and meaningful relationships) or, on the contrary, socially undesirable (e.g., promote segregation, bigotry and mistrust). Second, students intervened in these places through direct action, using their bodies or simple, every-day elements, in order to either consolidate their potential for socially desirable uses or to change the observed undesirable tendencies.
2020 - 2021
MEATS (Roger Paez, Manuela Valtchanova, Toni Montes, Agustina Angelini, Alexandra Assinger, Momen Bakry, Mykola Balaban, Dastan Bissenov, Malak Ghemraoui, John Gillen, Lauren Harrington, Helena Jablonowska, Maciej Jasicki, Liana Kalaitzoglou, Gal·la Knoph, Karolina Kwiek, Júlia Llorens, Kinga Ostapkowicz, Natasza Pierzchala-Suska, Elsa Romero, Chloé Rood, Puja Sivamani, Giulia Tufariello, Irini Vazanellis, Aleksandra Zaitzeva, Mariia Zavertaliuk)
MEATS (Roger Paez, Manuela Valtchanova, Toni Montes, Agustina Angelini, Alexandra Assinger, Momen Bakry, Mykola Balaban, Dastan Bissenov, Malak Ghemraoui, John Gillen, Lauren Harrington, Helena Jablonowska, Maciej Jasicki, Liana Kalaitzoglou, Gal·la Knoph, Karolina Kwiek, Júlia Llorens, Kinga Ostapkowicz, Natasza Pierzchala-Suska, Elsa Romero, Chloé Rood, Puja Sivamani, Giulia Tufariello, Irini Vazanellis, Aleksandra Zaitzeva, Mariia Zavertaliuk)