November 16–17, 2022, Accademia di architettura USI, Mendrisio
International Conference in conjunction with the exhibition
Territory as Palimpsest: The legacy of André Corboz
Teatro dell’architettura, Mendrisio / November 4, 2022–February 5, 2023
The first comprehensive, large-scale exhibition on André Corboz (1928–2012) is both the backdrop and the reason for this conference. Revisiting Corboz will discuss research methods, questions and key themes in the work of the Swiss architecture and art historian, long-time professor of the history of urbanism at ETH Zurich. Organised around four thematic fields, the conference looks at various issues and contexts that were relevant for Corboz – in particular for his contributions to the discourse on cities, territories and urbanised landscapes.
Undoubtably, there is renewed interest in his legacy today. The continuous renegotiation of territory, an issue identified by Corboz in the early 1980s, remains critical in Switzerland and elsewhere. Which conceptual framework did he provide? Likewise, one must situate his reading of urban form and landscape in its time, while asking how and why he had such a unique grasp of spatial issues. Was this also caused by the historian’s scepticism toward emerging Postmodernism?
Corboz described himself as a ‘disciplinary nomad’ and invites a multitude of perspectives. Engaging with contemporary issues and with historiography, this conference brings together a range of historians and practitioners as well as former colleagues and students.
Concept:
André Bideau, Sonja Hildebrand
Contact:
isa.arc@usi.ch
Further information and the programme can be found here.