Colombia: Transformed, Architecture = Politics April 3, 2012

Tuesday, April 3 – May 27

The Instituto Cervantes of Chicago in collaboration with MAS Studio is proud to present the American premiere of this groundbreaking architecture exhibition.

This exhibit traces ten recently built social projects by five leading voices in contemporary Colombian architecture: Daniel Bonilla and Giancarlo Mazzanti from Bogota, and Felipe Mesa, Juan Manuel Pelaez, and Felipe Uribe from Medellin. These visionary and socially conscious works – daycare centers, kindergartens, schools, a sport complex, and a library, mostly winners of architectural competitions, which have become the norm for building public projects in Colombia – reflect significant social shifts that are taking place in Latin America today. They demonstrate ideas of social inclusion, as well as innovative architectural forms and spaces, which have been steadily transforming Colombian cities and the nation.

Thanks to political, economic, and social reforms, in concert with a belief by local politicians in the transformative power of architecture, which is able to bring identity and higher visibility to various parts of towns, create new dignified and attractive public spaces for interactive learning and leisure, and most importantly, uplift the spirits of residents of the poorest neighborhoods. Engaging buildings, convenient public transportation, iconic landmarks, plazas, and parks improve quality of urban space, transform mindset of the inhabitants, and enhance their lifestyle.

The projects are explored through photographs, slides, drawings, and film footage to celebrate how these buildings are appropriated by the public.

Curator Vladimir Belogolovsky, Intercontinental Curatorial Project
Co-curator Fernando Villa, Magnusson Architecture & Planning

Exhibition sponsored in part by the Sociedad Colombiana de Arquitectos, Consulado General de Colombia, and Chicago Sister Cities International.

Opening Exhibit Reception
with lecture by David Escobar introduced by Fernando Villa

Tuesday, April 3, 6:00 pm
Instituto Cervantes
31 W. Ohio St.
Free and open to the public.
Register at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/230496 (The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.)

David Escobar is the current Planning Department Commissioner of the City of Medellin, Colombia where he is responsible for the strategic orientation, as well as the urban, social, and economic policies. He studied engineering at EAFIT, Medellin and holds Master in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge. He has fifteen years of experience in private and public organizations in Colombia. As Chief of Staff for Mayor Sergio Fajardo (2004–2007), the current Governor of the State of Antioquia, he led the Strategic Projects that are responsible for the urban and social transformation of Medellin. He was the campaign manager for Sergio Fajardo for the 2010 presidential race and he leads Smart City strategy program for Colombia.

Fernando Villa, AIA, works in New York City as an architect. He was trained at the Pontificia Bolivariana University in Medellin, Colombia. He lectures internationally on sustainable design and is the international representative of the Colombian Society of Architects in NYC. He will be a juror at the XXIII Colombian Biennial of Architecture this year.

Official Website: http://chicago.cervantes.es