| Beschreibung |
Landscapes are active producers of social, cultural, and ecological value. They emerge from complex entanglements of material flows, ecological processes, historical narratives, and political decisions, constantly shaped and reshaped by the interactions of humans and more-than-humans (Barad, 2003; Bennett, 2010). In an era defined by global environmental change, questions of how we perceive, inhabit, and intervene in landscapes have taken on renewed urgency. The seminar situates this inquiry within the wider context of the Anthropocene, a time in which accelerating environmental change disrupts familiar ways of perceiving and relating to (urban) landscapes. Urban landscapes highlight how cities function not only as built environments but also as ”meshwork of interwoven lines” (Ingold, 2011: 62). We will examine how urban landscapes are entangled with rural hinterlands, infrastructure systems, and natural processes. Therefore, we will explore how landscapes can be understood not only as settings, but as active producers of value. Using the materials of Thuringian wool and woad as entry points, we will examine how urban and rural environments are connected through flows of matter, practices, and meaning. These material flows are far from straightforward. We will approach landscapes as dynamic material systems: What do wool and woad reveal about Thuringia’s landscapes as sites of production? How do historical narratives and political decisions shape our understanding of materials? And how can direct material engagement intervene in these processes of designing (urban) landscapes? Thuringia provides a particularly rich context for this exploration. Its diverse urban centres, industrial and agricultural hinterlands, and ongoing processes of ecological and economic change offer fertile ground for studying the production of value in place. By situating research in the specific region between Gotha – Erfurt – Weimar, we will connect abstract theoretical concepts to tangible material and social realities, while also reflecting on the implications for broader regional, national, and global landscapes. Drawing on perspectives from Urban Landscape Studies, New Materialism, and theories of performativity, the course combines artistic research and performative practices to develop an understanding for design approaches grounded in sensitivity, attentiveness, and responsibility. Students will also reflect on their own roles as planners and researchers in imagining and shaping more resilient and equitable relationships between humans, more-than-humans and the environments they inhabit. Through a combination of short (guest) lectures, mapping workshops, material engagement and research, you will create a ‘Material Landscape Map’ that integrates material, practical, and discursive dimensions of your chosen case. Midway through the seminar, these maps will be presented for peer feedback, ensuring that critical discussion informs the development of each student’s final work. The course culminates in a final presentation where you exhibit both your completed maps and a critical output in a medium of your choice — such as a theoretically informed text recorded as audio or a spatial or process model. This multi-modal approach shall encourages you to question how different forms of representation themselves participate in shaping the perceived value of an (urban) landscape as product. |
