Swarovski Crystal Palace and Blueprint debate, Milan
CAN IMAGINATION SAVE THE CITY?
Thursday 23rd April at 11am
ex Magazzini di Porta Genova, via Valenza 2, Milan
A high-profile panel of speakers will address the question, Can Imagination Save the
City? at the Swarovski Blueprint debate in Milan next week:
• Amanda Levete, director of Amanda Levete Architects and co-founder of
Future Systems
• Arik Levy, designer, artist and creator of Osmosis for Swarovski Crystal
Palace 2009
• Deyan Sudjic, Director of the Design Museum, former editor of Domus and
Blueprint
• Nadja Swarovski, Vice President Internatonal Communications, Swarovski
• Alfredo Haberli, designer based in Zurich
• Mario Cucinella, director of Mario Cucinella Architects
• The debate will be chaired by Vicky Richardson, editor of Blueprint
The event is free but places are limited and you are advised to email
osmosis.debate@swarovski.com to reserve a place.
If you would like to pose a question about cities to any or all of the panelists, please
email it to: info@blueprintmagazine.co.uk
Can imagination save the city?
Cities are one of the most powerful subjects within contemporary art and literature.
Designers, architects too are fascinated by cities – both the possibility of planning
entirely new places in the middle and far east; and the issue of regeneration in
western cities.
How realistic are artistic interpretations of the city, compared to architects and
designers?
In London, writers such as Iain Sinclair, JG Ballard, and Will Self, often present a
more pessimistic view of the city than designers. By contrast architects present
images of their designs with airbrushed beautiful people, sitting in cafes and moving
through clean, crime-free public space. Which version of reality is more desirable or
interesting?
Is it possible or desirable for the ideas of artists/writers to shape the practical focus of
designers? And is it possible for artistic ideas – from writers, artists and designers –
to feed into political and policy debates about cities?
What is the role of creative imagination in transforming today’s cities; and, at a time
of financial constraint, how can creativity be encouraged?
With the flourishing of creative industries in cities from Milan to London, Berlin, Rome
and Paris, there are new opportunities for architects and designers to make an
impact. How can designers, specially the younger generation who do not have
access to property or resources, take advance of the economic crisis?