Città Parangolé at THE INDEPENDENT / MAXXI_Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo, Roma
2 December 2017 – 25 February 2018: MAXXI_Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo, Roma
The sixth 2017 edition of THE INDEPENDENT – MAXXI’s programme dedicated to independent realities – focusses on the group Urban-Think Tank (U-TT).
Urban-Think Tank is an interdisciplinary collective that deals with the theoretical and practical applications in architecture and urban design. U-TT was founded in 1998 in Caracas by Alfredo Brillembourg and Hubert Klumpner, where many of their built works inspired the theory of Città Parangolé, and since 2010 they operate within the Swiss Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. U-TT works internationally, bringing together people from various disciplines, fostering discourse between developing and developed countries, with a focus on informality and urbanity in areas with relevant situated knowledge.
At MAXXI, Urban-Think Tank presents Città Parangolé, a reflection on, and development of utopian theories with the contemporary urban environment as a setting. ‘60s artist Hélio Oiticica inspired the concept, where U-TT takes his notion of “life is movement” from the body into the city. This future city concept is governed by a manifesto where people and movement are central.
Città Parangolé has developed over time through case studies exploring the relationship between its theory and the application to contemporary contexts such as Sao Paulo, Brazil and Piacenza, Italy.
THE INDEPENDENT showcases the results of these case studies in the Carlo Scarpa foyer, where an architectural model translates the philosophy of this alternative city concept as a solution for the hypothetical future city of Piacenza. An informative graphic wall juxtaposes life in a generic present-day city with that of the future city. Città Parangolé is a sensual and playful city. Experience life in the city with an animated 3D flyover or see how gaming can involve citizens in planning their city. An in-depth theoretical exploration with the relative case studies are documented in an accompanying book.