EASA Reality 2021 - issue 4

КИШОБРАН The Real Umbrella. _ Kragujevac, 2021 _ ig: umbrella.easa

THE GOODBYE EDITION. LA

ERSONA

ERP EEP INT D E V A WE H

L! YOU AL R O F N O FFECTI

A letter from Kragujevac On Friday the 13th of August 2021, an open NC meeting took place at EASA Reality in Kragujevac, attended by the present NCs, as well as other interested EASians. The topic of the following INCM Essentials was brought forth to the community. In light of the current pandemic and the uncertain future of the upcoming summer assemblies, the community was worried about the timing and format of the upcoming INCM, set to take place only two weeks after the end of EASA Reality. According to the current bidding and selection processes, this INCM is expected to make a decision on the themes and location of three upcoming assemblies: EASA 2022, EASA 2023, as well as INCM 2022. Considering no team bid for EASA 2022 at last year’s INCM, the community is worried a similar situation might arise again.

Unfortunately, most NCs attending this EASA find themselves unable to attend the upcoming INCM. Also, considering the large share of firsttime attendees of this year’s summer assembly, the community fears not many people will dare to think about bidding in the short amount of time following EASA – although, being here in Kragujevac, and finally experiencing EASA and each other, a feeling of warmth and community has grown

through all generations. After this experience – as well as the experiences of other EASA events taking place around Europe – we believe new proposals will eventually arise smoothly and fluidly. To foster this, the bidding process should be rethought; this issue, which arose many times during the previous INCM discussions, has yet to be resolved. The community believes that this crisis is giving us the opportunity to do exactly that.

The lack of transparency, competitiveness and the pressure to outbid each other over the past years have been noted. The community therefore implores the teams considering bidding to be open and transparent from the start. Bidding shouldn’t be a competition; it should be a collective process in which the entire community creates the best possible course for future events, lending its support to the team taking the organizing duty upon themselves.

The level of preparedness which has come to be expected of the teams bidding was also pointed out; the community believes a more casual approach could result in developing great proposals and themes for the upcoming events. Future biddings can and must be more casual if EASA is to survive and advance in these times.

Many previous organizers confirmed that major logistical challenges

(previously expected to be solved before the bidding itself, such as the precise location or predetermined sponsorships) can be overcome after the proposal is selected, especially with the help of the extended EASA community and experienced teams.

Teams considering bidding were reminded to count on their support in every way.

The community in no way wishes to impose changes to the Belgian team’s INCM concept, nor does it wish to propose any extensions or cancelation of the event itself (the deadline extensions in 2020 were unable to attract any proposals). What we do recommend is enabling a fully transparent digital presence for NCs unable to attend the event, as well as a series of follow-up videoconferences for NCs and community members wishing to participate in the discussions. Their outcome should be a contingency plan determining if it is possible to change the traditional INCM process. These discussions may prove to be among the most important ones in the history of EASA; rethinking our usual processes and methods could reshape EASA and change it for the better for years and generations to come. The meeting ended with an invitation to the evening’s drag show.

Greetings from Kragujevac, EASA Reality

CAUTION, FUTURE BIDDERS: this is what happens when the negotionations with potential lecturers (asking for way too much money) go wrong...

ONE MORE FUN FACT: around 4450 pieces of pita were consumed for breakfast and lunch during this EASA...* *according to Tamara’s assesment as well as complex mathemathics

Yeah, but where is the Archive?

In the end we never got around to printing the fabled pop-up Archive; but fear not! Once more, we’ll provide you with a taste of the good stuff. One day soon, the Archive will be complete and widely available; but until then, you’re welcome to explore this sheet containing a few things from EASAs old an new - & barely

EASA 1981

scratching the surface of its marvellous depths. The timeline is - each & every one of these events has an unfathomable amount of & do check out the EASA Train video when you get home and you’re may change your life. It may not, but you won’t regret it either

1981 Liverpool, England Starting up the EASA Experience

1983 Lisbon, Portugal Social Spaces 1984 Aarhus, Denmark Turning point in Architecture

EASA 2015

1989 Marseille, France Heritage et Creativé

1991 Verkhoturie and Kolomna, USSR Regeneration 1992 Ürgüp, Turkey Vision 2000 Environment 1993 Sandwick, Scotland The Isle 1994 Liège, Belgium Consommer l’Inconsumable

EASA 2018

1990 Karlskrona, Sweden Exploration

1997 The Train, Scandinavia Advancing Architecture

2000 Antwerp and Rotterdam, Belgium/ Netherlands Dis-Similarities

1986 Torino, Italy Architetture Latenti

1988 Berlin, Germany The Dimension Between

1996 Clermont-l’Hérault, France: Dream Builders!

1999 Kavala, Greece Osmosis

1985 Athens, Greece Interpretation and Action in the City

1987 Helsinki-Putikko, Finland Architecture and Nature

1995 Zamość, Poland Beyond the Borders

1998 Valletta, Malta Living on the Edge

EASA 1997

1982 Delft, Netherlands Architecture of an Uncertain Future

just the beginning stories to tell. online again. it way.

[...]

page 1 of the EASA 1985 proclamation

BUT IN THE END, DOES IT REALLY MATTER? In a few rounds of talks and casual interviews with all the workshops, yet again we gathered information, insights, dreams and ideas...

Yet again we attempted to peek inside the mind of an EASian, this time to see what they attempted to achieve in the workshops and how it differed from reality. They shared with us some real-life skills they learned - or unlearned - during the workshops, some methods they used for exchanging knowledge, their most mind-blowing moments, and of course, the glorious shock of things rarely going according to plan. The full testimonies will, of course, be available on the famed open google doc. But just to give you a taste of the good stuff...

~ I abandoned rationality, the workshop helped me to understand a different perspective.

Not everything is about having a theoretical background, rationality is not the only solution. (PS) Creating something so temporary was difficult and frustrating at first but we learned to let go and enjoy the process. (RRO) Everything changed after discussing the workshop and trying out ideas with the participants; the program, the location, the scale and the details of the construction... as a group we adapted to the new reality. (SH) That is in a way the essence of our workshop – everything is temporary, nothing is permanently here. (RRO) To search is to vibe. (PS)

I was adamant about creating a nonhierarchical workshop. [...] It’s not about being correct or right, but about developing an idea.

(PS) We practiced on spare wood before even beginning. It was our first time working with these specific tools, and the experience was amazing. (SH) Walking while blindfolded was also great.

After I told Luka that we were planning to do that, he asked me if we were trying to kill the participants. (NT) EASA shouldn’t be perfect, like schoolwork.

The projects don’t have to comply with outside expectations. You need to relax and let go. (UEW) The fact that I’m downloading something that will take seven days to download. (HS) I learned to trust other people, trust the cosmos, to not be in control but go with the flow. (PS) I realised I never want to work in a team again.

But that just might be me. *laughter* (UEW) It was really intense but also really slow.

(HS) There was a paradox: the workshop was scheduled, then everything went to shit; and yet we were still on time. (SH) I don’t think I acquired it but I am aware it can be acquired - the skill not to enter into a heated discussion but to instead be neutral and vibey. I try not to say no, in a literal sense.

It’s sort of a subconscious thing, I still do say no sometimes, especially when it comes to

peer pressure. Turns out people are really OK with you saying no. (PS) My workshop was not hardcore. My workshop did not have a political agenda.

It was interesting enough in itself to discuss different ways of looking at basically anything. The participants brought in the political and social aspects; it was very organic and I appreciate that. (HS) [HS = Hindsight and the Proportions of Attention NT = neotribe PS = Pyramid Schemes RRO = (re)start (re)boot override UEW = Until the End of the World SH = Shatra]

[EASA timeline continuation...]

2001 Gökceada, Turkey No Theme 2002 Vis, Croatia Senses 2003 Friland, Denmark Sustainable Living 2004 Roubaix, France Metropolitan – Micropolitain 2005 Bergün, Switzerland Trans, Transit, Transition.

2006 Budapest, Hungary Common Places 2007 Eleusina, Greece City Index 2008 Dublin-Letterfrack, Ireland Adaptation

LIVING IN THE CLOUDS READING LIST 1st reading (meteorology) ANCIENT METEOROLOGY by Liba Taub METEOROLOGY by Aristotle THE LIFE OF PLANTS by Emanuele Coccia NEW DARK AGE by James Bridle 2nd reading (media+time) THE MARVELOUS CLOUDS by John Durham Peters THE LIFE OF PLANTS by Emanuele Coccia ORDER OUT OF CHAOS by Prigogine and Stengers GEOMETRY by Michel Serres, trans.

Randolph Burks 3d reading (cyber) HOW USERS MATTER edited by N. Oudshoorn and T. Pinch SURFING UNCERTAINTY by Andy Clark FUTURE CRIMES By M.Goodman A CYBORG MANIFESTO by Donna J. Haraway NEW DARK AGE By James Bridle PLATFORM CAPITALISM by Nick Srnicek DATA LOVE by Roberto Simanowski

2009 Brescia, Italy supermARCHet 2010 Manchester, UK Identity 2011 Cadiz, Spain deCOASTruction 2012 Helsinki, Finland Wastelands 2013 Žužemberk, Slovenia Reaction 2014 Veliko Tărnovo, Bulgaria Symбиоза 2015 Valletta, Malta Links 2016 Nida, Lithuania Not Yet Decided 2017 Fredericia, Denmark Hospitality. Finding the framework 2018 Rijeka, Croatia RE:EASA 2019 Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland EASA:Tourist 2020 Valga, Estonia Apathy 2021 Kragujevac, Serbia Reality

These things happened...

What was this reality? Now that it’s almost over, our flock will soon be dispersing. The time is upon us to get infected with that most bittersweet of all diseases, the EASA blues. Not like any worldy epidemic, our souls might very soon ache for the real Reality, the one we built together and inhabited for this short time. Very soon, our hearts will miss every single face, every toastie, even the toilets. We will see the golden foil in every glimpse of the sunset, taste pita in every bite of food. The instantnostalgia of Reality. The inability of fully explaining the cult you just attended to your friends and family. And the scale of it; well, it’s absolutely mind-boggling! Can you

even imagine the shere number of lifelong friendships which began in these weeks? Of loves, memories, knowledge, skills and hangovers?

And that inexplicable moment when, one day, some sooner and some later, we meet again, and all those days, months and years apart just melt away. And we just slip back into Reality. So, be sad if you must; it is a good pain, as it comes from love.

The absence of Reality - but a reality which will always stay with us. Let the EASA blues flow through you.

But don’t stay sad for long. After passing through this Reality, the new one gets enriched and forever changed. Everything else becomes more real. So don’t be sad. Because these things happened. Love you all. xoxo