DA23 Summer Lab in Porto

A hearty invitation to a journey of spatial choreography,

exploring the way we engage, perceive, and create space by moving.

A transdisciplinary exploration, the DA23 will take you to a personal journey of architectural choreography. 

It is an invitation to open up a fresh perspective by moving, and relate anew to the world around us; to the emotions of objects and materiality; to the childhood memories that the space conjures up; to the story of someone quietly sitting over there; to the speed of the streets where we walk every day; to the environment we breathe in; and to the quality of light where we have yet been in our imagination… And perhaps to question what makes us move, and to start asking new questions about the construct of the city, architecture and the life that contains. All through our thinking body and moving mind because the world is ever changing and never static. 

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Inspired by ‘Conversation Piece’ by Spanish artist Juan Muñoz (1953 – 2001) - curious full-size bronze figures seemingly in conversation to and with each other in secret whispers - DA23 CONVERSATION PIECE will listen to the voices and desires of the space and the place through the choreography of our moving bodies. We will uncover and express the embodied relationalities and layered constellations of intentions of the city of Porto, a terrain of the oblique. By translating our spatial engagement and felt senses into movement vocabularies, DA23 will culminate in a collective performance as experimental architectural dialogue. 

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Invigorating movement sessions will awaken our spatial awareness, while playful activities experiment with architectural ideas. With individual inner motivations and senses, participants will learn to express embodied ideas through the physicality of the body and choreography. Nestled within the heart of the city, our field of operation is an artist residency space at INSTITUTO, our partner in Porto. The urban streets and public spaces rich with culture and culinary delight will also be our playgrounds. There will be a day of excursion to visit wonderful architectures that Porto has to offer.

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Open to all for those who work and study in architecture and spatial practice, as well as social and cultural practice in wider context, DA Summer Lab hopes that the participants encounter and challenge something unfamiliar or even strange. Because it is these moments of fresh encounters when our creative intuition works at its best and discover something of lasting importance. Choreography as an agency for architecture encourages something a little autobiographic that reflects who we are through moving, and moving together towards creating collective experience. According to Cambridge dictionary, ‘conversation piece’ also means ‘an unusual object that causes people to start talking’. Let’s start talking in the language of movement and choreography of architecture! 

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Expect the infectious happiness of moving together!

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No prior experience in dance and choreography necessary, only your curious self!

 

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When:     Mon 4th (afternoon) – Sun 10th September 2023 

Where:    INSTITUTO, Rua dos Clérigos 44 R/C 4050-204 Porto, Portugal

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Spaces are strictly limited. Apply early to avoid disappointment! 

Application will close when spaces are filled. 

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Further information and application: click here

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