This page documents the Conference EDGE: SITUATED PRACTICE IN ART, ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM, that launched the SITUATED PRACTICE MA in 2017.
This series was curated by James O’Leary, Kieren Reed and Lewis Biggs, and organised by the UCL Urban Laboratory and Folkestone Triennial, with additional support from the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL and The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. 


Edge: where an area that is known or privileged meets another that is unknown or ignored; a point of balance between contrary or diverse phenomena; a place of connectivity and interaction - the ‘active edge’, where one thing meets another.

This trio of day-long symposia will explore the concept of situated practice in contemporary art, architecture and urbanism, at three 'edge' locations connected by the High Speed 1 rail link (HS1) from London to Folkestone. Each of the three days will bring together practitioners and thinkers from the fields of art, architecture and urbanism, inviting a response to the location in which the event is held, and investigating the sensory, social and environmental impact of different approaches. Together, the three events will generate a narrative exploration of contemporary situated practice in 'edge' urban settings, focusing on interstitial spaces (rather than buildings) and the creative uses to which these can be put.

Ooze & Marjetica Potrč

Ooze & Marjetica Potrč

Gateway - 14 Sept, 2017

Bloomsbury

The Gower Street campus of UCL was planned and built on the urban / rural edge of London, a 'learning' gateway through which generations of students have now passed, and one which now runs up against the Kings Cross development, conceived as a mix of ‘knowledge gateway’ with transport gateway.

Through a mixture of Workshops and Presentations, participants will draw on perspectives offered by art, architecture, performance, anthropology and pedagogy.


JEREMY DELLER IS KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT THIS EVENT EXPLORING SITUATED PRACTICE, CONTEMPORARY ART, ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM.

For this first event, we consider Bloomsbury and King's Cross as 'edge' locations. The Gower Street campus of UCL was planned and built on the urban/rural edge of nineteenth-century London, a ‘learning’ gateway through which generations of students have now passed, and one which now runs up against the King’s Cross development, conceived as a mix of ‘knowledge’ and ‘transport’ gateways.

 
Do Ho Suh

Do Ho Suh

Periphery - 7 Oct, 2017

Hackney Wick

The borough of Newham was until recently a neglected area of London, but the investment of the 2012 Olympic Games - particularly in transport infrastructure - has enabled Stratford to develop at a dizzying speed. It is now the home of Here East, a cluster of institutions including The Bartlett School of Architecture.

Speakers look at modes of intervention from the perspectives of art, architecture, urbanism and planning; some contributions will be ‘performed’ rather than spoken.


JILL MAGID, DO HO SUH AND ASSEMBLE ARE AMONG THE SPEAKERS AT THIS EVENT EXPLORING SITUATED PRACTICE, CONTEMPORARY ART, ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM.
 

For the second event, we consider the environs of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Investment for the 2012 Games brought rapid development to the previously neglected Stratford area. Here East, within the former press and broadcasting centre of the Games, is envisaged as a cluster of innovators and digital makers, whilst the Stratford Waterside development will bring new institutions including the V&A, Sadler's Wells, London College of Fashion, and UCL.

 
In Certain Places

In Certain Places

Border - 4 Nov, 2017 

Folkestone

Folkestone's position at the littoral edge of England allows it to breathe both sea and land air, and its urbanism connects equally with water and land. Formerly a main pivot for passenger transport between France and England, the Channel Tunnel took this border function ‘out of town’ and destroyed this particular active edge. 

On the final day, the focus will be on art-led urbanism, especially the contribution of the ‘local international’ and the ‘social practice’ of artists, architects and critics.

FRIEDRICH LUDEWIG, THE DECORATORS, DIANE DEVER, STROOM, AND CHARLES QUICK ARE AMONG THE SPEAKERS AT THIS EVENT EXPLORING SITUATED PRACTICE, CONTEMPORARY ART, ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM.

For the third and final event, we consider Folkestone. At the littoral edge of southeast England, its urbanism connect equally with water and land. From 1842 to 1992 it was the main pivot for passenger transport between France and England, and with the more recent construction of HS1, Folkestone has been gifted the questionable status of dormitory suburb to the Capital.