Friday 13 November
This month, the V&A and RIBA will be hosting a symposium for the UK and Ireland group of the International Confederation of Architectural Museums (ICAM). The event will discuss new ways of engaging with architecture, architectural enterprises for museums and how to think creatively about opening museums’ architectural collections and archives to the public.
Artist, Jessie Brennan, will present her recent project REGENERATION! In her talk she will describe the politics that led to the rise and fall of Robin Hood Gardens - from socialist-inspired post-war public housing to its eventual privation under neoliberalism - but also the contested place the buildings occupy between iconic architecture and domestic homes. What’s highlighted are the dramatically different perceptions of the estate by academic/architectural institutions and the people who actually live there. How then, might the role of the architectural museum address the gap between perceptions of architecture and its actual lived experience, and engage more broadly in debates around the politics of regeneration?
The symposium is convened by Dr. Olivia Horsfall-Turner, and speakers include: Dr. Barbara Penner (Senior Lecturer in Architectural History, The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL); Richard Coutts (Founding Director, Baca Architects); Jessie Brennan (Artist, Freelance Educator and Lecturer); Liza Fior (Founding Partner of muf architecture/art); Jo Norman (Senior Curator, Lead Curator, Scottish Design Galleries, V&A Museum of Design Dundee); Dr. Kent Rawlinson (Head of Collections and Public Programmes, RIBA); Laura Southall (Head of Learning, RIBA); Jonathan Tuckey (Director, Jonathan Tuckey Design).
The symposium is aimed at all members of ICAM-UKI, international members of ICAM and other museum or heritage professionals working with architectural collections, offering the opportunity to connect with colleagues across a range of architecturally engaged institutions.
Delegates will attend a drinks reception and a private view of the recently launched Philip Webb (1831-1915) exhibition. Drawing on the unparalleled collection of drawings and archives of the V&A and RIBA, the display brings together Webb’s diverse projects and his roles as architect and designer.
RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London & V&A, Cromwell Road, London
09:30-19:00 (Museum open until 22:00)