EASA (European Architecture Students Assembly) is the largest non-for-profit decentralised Architecture Network in Europe, bringing together students and young creatives from the fields of Architecture, Urbanism, Arts and Design to collaborate in a horizontal learning process at the intersection of education and practice.
The yearly EASA event, organised each year at a new location by a different team, gathers around 400 international participants and about 30 workshops in a two-week-long summer Architecture residency. During this time, students and professionals form a self-organised community. They work, learn, rest, cook, eat, clean, and live together.
Bringing students to a certain context, defined by the location and theme of the assembly, they are encouraged to raise architectural questions themselves and investigate them through the eyes of all cultures simultaneously. Becoming their educators, students then bring them to reality.
- Open Call -
The theme chosen for the 44th edition of EASA is “Shanzhai”. As South Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han explains, “‘Shanzhai’ is a Chinese neologism that refers to the appropriation of a form or an idea, dismissing its original status. Its appeal lies in the functional and ingenious variation and innovation, not defined by genius or creation ex nihilo, but by being part of an anonymous, collaborative ongoing process of combination and mutation. (Shanzhai: The Art Of Falsification And Deconstruction In China, Byung-Chul Han, 2016) We aim to bring Shanzhai methodologies and mechanisms to EASA to promote a process of social and cultural collaboration that challenges and deconstructs dominant notions of authenticity and authorship in art and architecture; using systematic copying as a democratising tool of design and architectural education and practice.
Architecture students and young professionals will gather in Benidorm, Spain, for two weeks, exchanging ideas through a program packed with workshops and lectures strongly relating to the theme of Shanzhai, conducted by practitioners from divergent disciplines.
The EASA Shanzhai Open Call for workshops is asking applicants to submit thought-provoking proposals driven by Shanzhai and responding to the particular environmental, spatial and socioeconomic context of Benidorm.
The call is open to anyone studying or working in architecture or dealing with space. The deadline for the workshop proposal is April 10, 2024. All the information on the Open Call, as well as the Google Form to complete the application, can be found here: http://easashanzhai.org/Workshops.
Open calls for participants, helpers, and guests will take place later in the year, and you can follow all updates about the event on easashanzhai.org.
The Intermediate Tutor Meeting that took place in Benidorm last February was an exceptional opportunity for prospective tutors to gain a comprehensive understanding of this year's location and theme. EASA had the pleasure of meeting with the Mayor of Benidorm, City Council representatives, the Architectural Association of Alicante (CTAA - COACV), as well as local architects and students. This meeting allowed all parties to exchange ideas and form synergies that will be instrumental in delivering a successful event. We are proud to announce that the Council of Benidorm and the CTAA are supporting the EASA Shanzhai summer event.
Title
EASA ShanzhaiType
EventWebsite
Organizers
From
July 28, 2024 11:54 AMUntil
August 11, 2024 11:54 AMVenue
Benidorm, SpainAddress
Av. Papa Juan Pablo II, 03502 Benidorm, Alicante, Spain