Research Spaces IV, 5/6 December, 2007
Bartlett/Slade Annual PhD Conference

Woburn Studios, University College London, UK

The 2007 Research Spaces Conference – Telling Places: Narrative and Identity in Art and Architecture asks for contributions on new practices, theories and critiques of narrative and identity.

In a globalised context, conditioned by mass migrations of peoples – across national and ethnic boundaries, and from dispersed rural environments to dense urban centres – the idea that art and architecture can convey stable representations and values has come undone. At the same time, practices of place making are no longer considered the domain of the professional, nor as an inherent/given act, but as an ongoing, repeated, negotiated and contested process.

If the ‘place’ of art and architecture is already filled, and by competing stories, what else is to be told? What new responsibilities does this telling imply?

Over two days, the Telling Places conference will consider place as a space loaded with ‘familiar’ significance, whether this be personal or collective. We are interested in the objects, the artifacts, the means, the processes that narrate the creation of such places, as well as those that challenge, question or negate such places.

The annual PhD research conference Research Spaces, has been running since 2004, affording post-graduates at the Bartlett School of Architecture, and the Slade School of Fine Art, the opportunity to examine research activities across disciplines. The event has continued to be a success, attracting contributions from the UK, Europe and North America, from practicing architects and artists, academics and research students.