KRAX* s a project
that investigates, promotes and connects urban creativity in Barcelona
with that of other cities. KRAX believes
that Urban Creativity generates alternative proposals and reactions
that are necessary to the city's transformation. Autonomous initiatives
emerge in response to the lack of value that public institutions
place on the need for collectivism, participation and self-management
in the process of building the city’s future. These initiatives
exist at the cultural, social and economic levels, and we recognise
the need to acknowledge and involve them.
To us, urban creativity means all the spontaneous citizen initiatives, ideas
and energy that reflect and act upon the city. Urban creativity makes conflicts
visible, strengthening a community’s sense of belonging and opening
up the possibility of creating viable alternatives. This is why KRAX values
and supports these initiatives.
For the second time, City Mine(d) is organising the KRAX
Conference, a meeting between creative ideas in Barcelona
and other cities, from April 23 to 26, 2008.
This year we are focusing on urban autonomous cultural spaces - public
spaces that support the creativity of a city’s residents, and generate
debates about the way the city is managed. These are autonomous cultural production
initiatives based on new models of (self)management and a coherent discourse
in response to urban changes. There’s a need for political institutions
to get to know and recognise these spaces and the value and richness they add
to the city.
This year, the KRAX Conference brings together experiences of autonomous spaces
that produce culture and citizenship. We want to show the importance of these
spaces that allow true participation, alternatives and citizen intervention.
The KRAX Conference program includes debates, workshops, presentations
by guest initiatives, guided tours, meetings with local initiatives
and a Documentation Centre (KRAX Cargo) with the material compiled
through the research process.
*: KRAX comes from the idea of cracks in the
city, places that generate tensions arising from urban transformation
in relation to social and cultural needs. These cracks are a point
of attraction for new interests and creations. Krax is an initiative
of City Mine(d), centre of production for urban interventions in
Brussels, London and Barcelona.
»» GUIDED
VISITS
Autonomous cultural production spaces and their relationship
to the local area.
Thursday April 24th - 12pm:Poble
Nou: La Escocesa, http://laescocesa.org/
A former factory operating as an arts laboratory, currently facing
possible eviction. Another example of the changes brought about
by speculation that have already led to the disappearance of dozens
of creative workshops in the Poble Nou area. Resident artists think
of La Escocesa as a public tool, not a business. They are currently
negotiating with the city council to decide its future.
Friday April 25th - 12pm: Nou
Barris: Ateneu Nou Barris, http://ateneu9b.net/
An asphalt plant recovered by locals 30 years ago and converted
into a cultural space, the Ateneu has achieved the recognition
of the City Council. It is currently the city’s (only?) example
of a citizen-managed cultural initiative.
sathurday April 26th - 12hs: Special
tour!:
La Barceloneta, http://labarcelonetaambelaiguaalcoll.blogspot.com/ For KRAX-City Mine(d), la Barceloneta is the action zone: an
area right in the midst of an urban planning transformation that
requires
more reflection, involvement and care. As well as visiting the
neighbourhood and meeting the locals, there will be an intervention/meeting
to propose and exchange ideas and experiences that can boost the
local struggle.
- Reservations:
The tours are free, of course, but capacity is limited. To participate
in the guided tours, register by writing to krax(at)citymined.org
or call (+34) 93 301 5873 before April 20.
»» WORKSHOPS
// DEBATES
KRAX wants to make the best of all the knowledge and experience from different
urban contexts that will come together at the Conference in order to debate
the strengths, weaknesses and legitimacy of autonomous spaces as tools
for urban creation and debate. Moderators: Pablo Carmona Pascual aka Panzer, Observatorio Metropolitano/Centro
Social Seco (Madrid) and Jorge Dragón, Rizoma/La Casa Invisible
(Malaga). Thursday April 24th, 4.30pm: “Autonomous spaces and their relationship to institutions:
negotiate, collaborate or live the margins?" Friday April 25th, 4.30pm: “Autonomous cultural production and local community building:
legitimacy, communication and social responsibility”
»» PRESENTATIONS
We invite initiatives from other cities to present their work and practices,
sharing ideas and dynamics at the level of organisation, communication
and dialogue.
» Faro de Oriente, Mexico City,
México,http://farodeoriente.org
A space with an unusual level of creative freedom, El Faro is one of the
best social-cultural initiatives in Mexico City. It fulfils a very important
role in one of the largest and most marginalised areas of the city, contributing
rebuilding the social fabric. This cultural community is funded by Mexico
City's Department of Culture, but it fights to maintain self-management and
self-development.
» Parque Cultural Ex-Cárcel,
Valparaíso, Chile,http://redcultural.cl
The Carcel (prison) building is right in the middle of the city. Since it
closed in 1994, locals have been asking for it to be opened as a public space
for the public, respectful of the heritage and history of the site. In light
of the government’s lack of response to their requests, groups of artists
and locals started to occupy the prison's space, and created the Corporación
de Amigos de la Ex-Cárcel. In 2001, a new Urban Plan was approved.
Local residents support the creation of the cultural space as a place for
community development, with activities programmed and managed by the Corporación
de Amigos itself.
» PUKAR / URBAN TYPHOON, Mumbai, India,http://pukar.org.in , http://urbantyphoon.com
The point of departure for PUKAR (Partners for Urban Knowledge, Action and
Research) is the debate around urbanisation and globalisation. Mumbai is
their conceptual base and laboratory: their aim is to encourage critical
urban knowledge arising from citizens themselves through workshops, screenings,
seminars and debates. In March 2008, PUKAR is organising the Urban Typhoon
Workshop in Dharavi, one of Mumbai’s poorest areas, so that its residents
can propose ideas and decide on the area's future urban plan.
» ROG, Ljubljana, Slovenia, http://tovarna.org
“It’s not a traditional occupation or squatting of a space, but a
temporary alteration of its purposes. It has been 15 years since the huge 7,000
meter square factory, which belongs to the city of Ljubljana, fell into decline.
Until the government develops and establishes a clear strategy for resolving
the problem of these empty buildings, we want to use our own initiative to open
them up to all groups or individuals in the non-profit sector, to carry out independent
productions with social and cultural content”.
» IMDP, Istambul, Turkey,http://imdp.blogcu.com
The Istanbul Platform of Neighbourhood Associations consists of 24 neighbourhoods.
In response to plans to transform the city under the discourse of “modernisation” and “beautification”,
IMDP collects petitions and organises demonstrations and public actions.
Local residents fight to be recognised as one of the principal actors in
the process of deciding on the city's future. Independent of all public bodies,
IMDP is supported by NGOs, citizen groups and activists.
» Oranssi, Helsinki, Finland, http://oranssi.net
Oranssi began 15 years ago. Following a series of occupations/evictions,
they created the “Housing Company” so that they could have more
power in negotiations with the City Council and access soft bank loans. After
a long negotiation progress, the City Council rented them some old wooden
houses. From that moment, Oranssi members began working on renovating the
houses so they could be used as large share houses. So, on one hand, “community
living”... On the other, a self-managed cultural centre with an interesting
philosophy: engage, inspire, educate...
» La Casa Invisible, Málaga,
Spain, http://lainvisible.net
This is a bid to open a new space aimed at promoting citizen self-organisation,
critical thinking and collective creation. “We firmly believe in the
need and the desire to start up public spaces in Malaga that aren't conditioned
by government or commercial regulations, but can open up to the creativity
and organisational capacity that arises from the social networks that inhabit
and shape our city”.
» Piso3, Bogotá, Colombia, http://pisotr3s.org
Piso3 is an idea, a space and an action. Established by various groups and
collectives of young people who have united their efforts to make themselves
an independent space of their own (for young people, and from young people)
where they can carry out their work and activities, the space has been conceived
through voluntary, horizontal association, respecting autonomies and inviting
debate and assembly. Within
its specificity, innumerable organisations and initiatives continue to nurture
that atmosphere, thanks to the spontaneity of young people concerned with
acting and self-managing their future.
» El Patio Maravillas, Madrid, Spain,http://patiomaravillas.net
A self-management project that wants to “make Madrid from the street” by
providing the Malasaña area a public meeting space that it didn't
have, and offering groups who needed it the chance to use it. There are already
50 groups working to condition the rooms, including BiciCritica, environmental
cooperatives, local rap groups, residents...
» ABC No Rio, New York, USA, http://abcnorio.org
ABC No Rio was founded in 1980: a few years ago, it bought the building from
New York City Council for $1. “We believe that art and activism should
be for everyone, not just the professionals, experts and cognoscenti. Our
dream is a cadres of actively aware artists and artfully aware activists”.
The ABC No Rio community defines itself through shared values: social justice,
equality, anti-authoritarianism, autonomous action and collective processes.
» Ateneu Candela, Terrassa, Catalunya, http://communia.org/candela
The Ateneu aims to be an updated version of the “ateneos” that
where common urban features in Catalonia in the early 20th century. The enormous
vitality of the proletariat at the time can partly be explained by the existence
of spaces belonging to the social movement – sort of “islands
of freedom”-, from which power was constantly questioned. Almost a
century later, this commitment is taken up once more, adapted to postmodern
societies in which the logic of capital wants to swamp social life. To reverse
this trend, we have Ateneu Candela, the creation of a social space for political
intervention in the metropolitan area.
»» KRAX Cargo
KRAX Cargo is the archive and visualisation of all the information compiled
in the KRAX research project, especially in relation to the practices/groups
we are in contact with. During the KRAX Conference, KRAX Cargo will be
available so that you can consult, add and copy material.
