International Symposium, Round Tables and Lecture Series
December 2025- May 2026
Curated by Lina Malfona, polit(t)ico research lab
This call for proposals invites reflections on the interplay between invention and creativity, science and architecture. Inspired by the untold stories of breakthrough discoveries—often born from the vision of lesser-known inventors—this symposium opens a broader conversation about the solitary genius and the social and spatial environments that fuel innovation.
The program is divided into three thematic sessions: “SPACE,” focused on research spaces and architecture as the physical dimension of knowledge; “NATURE,” exploring connections between geo-architecture, ecology, and landscape; and “MACHINE,” examining the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence, design, and today’s invisible infrastructures. A round table will encourage participants to debate where we draw the lines between invention and masterpiece, in a world increasingly shaped by technology and individual creativity.
Who are the true protagonists of these transformations? What kind of spaces spark new ideas, and how do solitude, migration, or exclusion impact the history of invention? This is a unique opportunity to contribute your perspective to the call for proposals—where science and architecture intertwine, bridging past, present, and future.
Call for proposals
Please submit a proposal in English, providing a single PDF file with the following information:
– Title and session
– Short biography (up to 100 words);
– Abstract text (up to 300 words);
– 1 image or other materials representative of the proposal;
– Selected bibliography
Deadline for proposal submission: November 30, 2025
Notification of acceptance: December 30, 2025
Publication of proceedings by the end of 2026
Mail to: lina.malfona@unipi.it
Link to the call
Weird Science, Isolated Intelligence. Histories of Architecture, Technology and Evolution