Crossover Project: INTERACT

Project brief

INTER-ACT is an interdisciplinary platform between architects and fine artists with the potential for it to open to the wider faculty in the future.

INTER-ACT hosts both an INTERdisciplinary ACTion based research platform as well as one that is interested in INTERACTions, towards imaginative methods of making and responding to the city. Action directly engages in the city through direct interventions such as, on site making, discussion, film screening, constructed situations etc. For this reason all the projects of the studio will be live projects and situated within the city outside the confines of the university. Walks and mappings explore the complexity of the city as well as critically engage with the artist/architects position within it, to act and provoke, make commentary or create a lasting change.

In a context where public and civic spaces of the city are diminishing it is important that we take back the public space of the city and claim our right to the city.

This year INTER-ACT will take over an infill site on the Roman road, where we collaboratively conceptualise and make “Roman roads museum of the everyday” from which the collective of students will operate, run events, seminars and exhibitions.

We will look extensively at the role of archives in art, architecture and spatial context and how they can become spaces of local resilience.

We will look at spatial and political theorists and philosophers such as Henri Lefebvre, David Harvey and Hannah Arendt as well as artists and architects who practice in this political field.

We will host a series of discussions and seminars which will lead to discussions around:

How does ritual, the ceremonial or processional make space?

Is mapping and re-mapping the city always political?

What is demonstrated in the intervention, and what is felt?

How do you draw protest?

What can local found materials contribute both as experience and discussion in the process of making?

What account of tacit knowledge or experience is relevant here?

This Live project is a partnership project between The Cass, London Borough of Tower Hamlets and The Whitechapel gallery.

INTER-ACT has received project funding, which will pay for construction material of the “Roman roads museum of the everyday” and its cultural programming in partnership with Whitechapel gallery.