You are cordially invited a special seminar by Kenta KISHI. The details are as follows.

Title: An Interventional Urban Study for “Absent Urban Citizens”

Date and Time: November 5th (Thurs.), 2015 16:00-18:00
Place: Tonan-tei (Room No. 201), Inamori Foundation Memorial Building, Kyoto University

Speaker: Kenta Kishi, Architect, Adjunct Lecturer at Tokyo Zokei Unversity

Abstract:
What are the possible social practices that are effective for diverse urban issues today? Urban space in and around rapidly growing Asian cities is now facing a moment of critical transformation under large-scale developments, influxes of people, capital and information – an experience that Japan similarly went through. These situations have been making the existence of inhabitants more “invisible.” We can define these people as “Absent Urban Citizens.” Yet when we do so we must consider how social practices can intervene in forecasted crises through the media, grass-roots movements and urban design.

This presentation will focus on and discuss the possibilities of the interventional action of public media and consider it as an alternative form of art, architecture and/or urban study. Through a workshop that was conducted in a neglected urban settlement (kampung) in Surabaya, Indonesia, in Aug. 2015, this presentation examines several remarkable art and social projects done by contemporary artists in the area to highlight the role and power of art in urban issues.

About the speaker:
Kenta Kishi received his Master of Architecture from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, USA. After graduation he conducted experimental design studios in art institutions in Singapore. In 1998, He started his professional career in Japan, with works focusing on finding the latent
tasks of architecture in contemporary cities. In particular, he has focused on the “transformation of the city” as it is created through the diverse impacts of urban (re)development projects. This is reflected in his projects that cross diverse fields such as art, architecture,
design, education, and especially urban study. Since 2007, He has been directing international and transdisciplinary urban study projects in Asian cities, especially in Surabaya, as an API (Asian Public Intellectuals) fellow of The Nippon Foundation. Besides his professional activities as an architect, he has been also teaching theory and practice in architecture, urbanism and art at Tokyo Zokei University.

Contact: Mario Lopez (CSEAS)