Analysis, Synthesis
By associating the representation of an object with the wider cultural context of its time, the course aims to familiarize students with methodologies of ‘reading’ the architectural work and mechanisms of feeding the architectural thought in order to inspire alternative ways of presenting an object which, as M. Foucault points out, will dismantle "the reassuring form of the identical". The various forms of the representation of natural objects or ideas and mental images - for example the Apollo of Belvedere, Hell and Paradise by Hieronymus Bosch, the ideal Renaissance city by Piero della Francesca, plants and insects by the naturalist Carl von Linné in taxonomic tables or virtual objects in the Pokémon Go game - reflect the way in which man perceives the world and things in his historical path every time. They constitute approaches which sometimes surprise us, sometimes trouble us, and sometimes motivate us to experiment with new representational versions.
The object of the course is the emergence of new spatial formalities, that is, representations that do not relate to a previous form. Through specific representational themes, the students will experiment in seeking the boundaries of modern architectural thought and action and attempting to overcome or abolish them by challenging established rules and patterns of architectural production. Within this framework, representation is regarded as part of architectural thought and not simply as part of architectural practice. The representation process can include collages, two- and three-dimensional representations, animations, and anything else that might serve to support an inventive and original idea.