Confronting Radical Imagination [Radical Spatial Futures]

In this episode, in conversation with Albert Kreisel, we discuss the work of Oasis Urbano and together unravel stories of spatial practice entangled with stories of transformation, and ones of family, community, love, care, joy, solidarity, and hope. 

Oasis Urbano’s practice is embedded within the narratives of transformation of the Colombian informal neighbourhood of Moravia, whilst at the same time not taking any ownership of them. Their work, in a sense, is a platform that brings together people and their multiple forms of ‘expertise’, be it on architecture, community leadership, building, academia, cooking, or dancing. Their ‘urban labs’ take form as community centres, small parks, staircases and murals, gatherings, parties, and intercultural exchanges; becoming integral parts of the everyday life of the neighbourhood. Beyond claiming architectural merits, they become places in which one can dream, oases of collective imagination.

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As part of the ‘Confronting Radical Imagination’ conversation series, hosted, written, researched, and edited by Lara Scharf. The conversation series is part of the Radical Spatial Futures project, funded by the ESRC, supervised by Prof Doina Petrescu and Dr Tanzil Shafique, at the School of Architecture of the University of Sheffield.

To follow the RSF project, check ⁠⁠radicalspatialfutures.com⁠⁠, or on ⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠.

Special thanks to Albert for joining the conversation. Follow Oasis Urbano’s work on their⁠⁠ website⁠⁠, instagram, youtube, and facebook⁠.

Music: Fairytales by Danijel Zambo

In conversation with James O’Leary, we discuss the work of Kreider + O’Leary, and together explore the transgression of boundaries, resistance, and the importance of facilitating the capacity to imagine. At the same time, this is a conversation between Nicosia and Belfast, a parallel look at two fragmented cities and their ways of moving beyond division.

Kreider + O’Leary’s practice could perhaps be seen as a conversation and entanglement between the spatial and the poetic. Through this approach, they offer new ways of seeing, navigating, and acting in ‘ungovernable’ contexts. Going against established patterns and ways of thinking, requires shifting the perspectives of how we, as researchers or practitioners, approach, see, and connect to spaces; it requires an upturning of the established; a fertilisation of the communities’ capacities to imagine; it requires to continuously “risk the envisioning of new spaces, new configurations, new dreams”.

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As part of the ‘Confronting Radical Imagination’ conversation series, hosted, written, researched, and edited by Lara Scharf. The conversation series is part of the Radical Spatial Futures project, funded by the ESRC, supervised by Prof Doina Petrescu and Dr Tanzil Shafique, at the School of Architecture of the University of Sheffield.

To follow the RSF project, check ⁠⁠radicalspatialfutures.com⁠⁠, or on ⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠.

Special thanks to James for joining the conversation. Follow Kreider + O’Leary’s work on their⁠⁠ website⁠⁠ and x.

Music: Fairytales by Danijel Zambo

In this episode, in conversation with Emre Akbil, Esra Can, and Socrates Stratis, we discuss the work of Imaginary Famagusta (IF) and together explore the role and the mobilisation of the imaginary.

In the intersections of architecture, urbanism, and social action, for the past ten years IF strategically interjects spaces and situations to shift conversations and inspire change. The ‘imaginary’ becomes a multidimensional tool, simultaneously mobilising the informality of the collective and the agency of ‘What If’ questions. Common futures are imagined and materialised in the present in roundtables, walks, or gaming sessions; simultaneously performing potential roles of spatial practice in reconciliation processes.

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As part of the ‘Confronting Radical Imagination’ conversation series, hosted, written, researched, and edited by Lara Scharf. The conversation series is part of the Radical Spatial Futures project, funded by the ESRC, supervised by Prof Doina Petrescu and Dr Tanzil Shafique, at the School of Architecture of the University of Sheffield.

To follow the RSF project, check ⁠⁠radicalspatialfutures.com⁠⁠, or on ⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠.

Special thanks to Emre, Esra and Socrates for joining the conversation. Follow Imaginary Famagusta’s work on their⁠⁠ website⁠⁠, facebook⁠, and instagram.

Music: Fairytales by Danijel Zambo

In conversation with Tiago Mota Saraiva, we discuss the work of ateliermob and Working with the 99% and together explore the transforming role of an architecture studio amidst economic and democratic crises

Through their work they continuously and explicitly push the boundaries of architecture, rejecting any of the boxes the discipline is trying to fit them in. Moving beyond their acclaimed community kitchen in Teras da Costa, they reject the aestheticization of informality and call for the architect’s entanglement in the political and legal spheres. These new modes of engagement and action, supporting communities in their spatial claims, chart a new course for architecture in times when the future appears hopeless.

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As part of the ‘Confronting Radical Imagination’ conversation series, hosted, written, researched, and edited by Lara Scharf. The conversation series is part of the Radical Spatial Futures project, funded by the ESRC, supervised by Prof Doina Petrescu and Dr Tanzil Shafique, at the School of Architecture of the University of Sheffield.

To follow the RSF project, check ⁠⁠radicalspatialfutures.com⁠⁠, or on ⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠.

Special thanks to Tiago for joining the conversation. Follow ateliermob's work on their⁠⁠ website⁠⁠, instagram, and facebook⁠.

Music: Fairytales by Danijel Zambo

In conversation with Khondaker Hasibul Kabir, we discuss the work of Co.Creation.Architects and together explore their humble approach on how architects can be useful to cities and communities. Through their work, CCA reframe the role of architecture towards a form of embedded practice positioned with purpose and in the service of those human and non-human communities that are ‘in the shadows’. 

In this radical reimagination of practice, architects are not simply designers, but ‘doctors of houses’ and ‘organisers of dreams’. Organisers of collective dreams that were only uncovered with care-full transfers of power and organisations of spaces and opportunities to be together.

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As part of the ‘Confronting Radical Imagination’ conversation series, hosted, written, researched, and edited by Lara Scharf. The conversation series is part of the Radical Spatial Futures project, funded by the ESRC, supervised by Prof Doina Petrescu and Dr Tanzil Shafique, at the School of Architecture of the University of Sheffield.

To follow the RSF project, check ⁠⁠radicalspatialfutures.com⁠⁠, or on ⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠.

Special thanks to Kabir for joining the conversation. Follow Co.Creation.Architects's work on their⁠⁠ website⁠⁠⁠.

Music: Fairytales by Danijel Zambo

How can the kitchen become an arena for imagining and enacting alternative futures?

In conversation with Marianna Martinez Balvanera, we discuss the work of Cocina CoLaboratorio and together explore different arenas of practice, in which together with communities, researchers, artists and spatial practitioners, alternative ways of production and consumption are not only imagined, but enacted. This is achieved through cooking, eating, listening, discussing, and most importantly caring for our human and non-human communities.

Imagination is reframed as a disruption to the ordinary ways of operation, an active transformation of narratives, an arrow that frames a direction, and a collective effort of asking “How do we get there?”.

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As part of the ‘Confronting Radical Imagination’ conversation series, hosted, written, researched, and edited by Lara Scharf. The conversation series is part of the Radical Spatial Futures project, funded by the ESRC, supervised by Prof Doina Petrescu and Dr Tanzil Shafique, at the School of Architecture of the University of Sheffield.

To follow the RSF project, check ⁠radicalspatialfutures.com⁠, or on ⁠instagram⁠.

Special thanks to Mariana for joining the conversation. Follow Cocina CoLaboratorio's work on their ⁠website⁠, ⁠instagram⁠ or facebook.

Music: Fairytales by Danijel Zambo

In conversation Max Haiven, we discuss how his understanding of radical imagination has changed after 10 years since the publication of The Radical Imagination: Social Movement Research in the Age of Austerity.

How has the radical imagination been used by others? How does it inform Max’s other research interests and latest projects, including the development of radical analogue games? And what does it mean to this project

This episode in a way forms a foundation for the rest of this conversation series, as it has a much more theoretical underpinning and hopefully frames my interest and approach in relation to the radical imagination.

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As part of the ‘Confronting Radical Imagination’ conversation series, hosted, written, researched, and edited by Lara Scharf. The conversation series is part of the Radical Spatial Futures project, funded by the ESRC, supervised by Prof Doina Petrescu and Dr Tanzil Shafique, at the School of Architecture of the University of Sheffield.

To follow the RSF project, check radicalspatialfutures.com, or on instagram.

Special thanks to Max Haiven for joining the conversation.
Follow his work on his website, X, or instagram.

Music: Fairytales by Danijel Zambo

In conversation with Maya (my sister!), we discuss the Cypriot conflict, our situated experiences of it, and the ways it frames our research and practice interests. Why is it important for us to rethink identity and imagine revolutions? And what could speculating support us to do?

Maya through her artistic practice calls for a revolution of the bastards, those located in between and simultaneously on both sides of a conflict, or those that simply do not identify within its lines.

This essentially was a test episode, for both technical issues (that went pretty badly) and structure. As the conversation was very interesting I decided to include it in this series. Please forgive the sound/ image issues!

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As part of the ‘Confronting Radical Imagination’ conversation series, hosted, written, researched, and edited by Lara Scharf. The conversation series is part of the Radical Spatial Futures project, funded by the ESRC, supervised by Prof Doina Petrescu and Dr Tanzil Shafique, at the School of Architecture of the University of Sheffield.

To follow the RSF project, check radicalspatialfutures.com, or on instagram.

Special thanks to Maya Maria Ophilia for joining the conversation.
Follow her work on her website or instagram.

Music: Fairytales by Danijel Zambo

This is Radical Spatial Futures. 

A project on spatial resistances, collective speculations, and radical imaginations. 

You are listening to ‘Confronting Radical imagination’. A conversation series, asking: What is the role of spatial practice in contexts so deeply conflictual that alternatives are not even considered possible? 

In this reflective journey, I ‘confront’ spatial practitioners from around the globe, with the notion of radical imagination. What does it mean to them? Is it valuable? Is it an inherent part of design and spatial practice? What is the role of imagination in wider processes of change?