San Sebastián, 16-18 November 2016
Modern Movement: Cultural Heritage and Society
Scientific Committee: José Ángel Sanz Esquide, José Ángel Medina Murua, Vitoria Ateca Amestoy, João Carlos dos Santos, Margherita Sani and Bixente Taberna Irazoki
Venue: Universidad del País Vasco. Centro Carlos Santa María. Plaza de Elhuyar 2, San Sebastián
Organizers: Fundación DOCOMOMO Ibérico, Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos Vasco-Navarro (Delegación de Guipúzcoa), Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura UPV-EHU, Departamento de Arquitectura of the Universidad del País Vasco, Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura of the Universidad de Navarra and the Instituto de Patrimonio Cultural de España.
Thematic areas:
Modern Movement and social evolution: Major sociological, economic, scientific and artistic changes led to the birth of what has become known as the modern movement, while events in the inter-war period form the backdrop for the new style (“functionalism”, “international style” and so on). These events include the twilight of 19th-century society, the arrival of the first machine age, the stock market crash of 1929, cinema and mass culture and the political and artistic phenomena that marked the unfolding of the whole 20th century. Then, after the second world war, the redefinition ranged from “rationalism and organicism” to “new brutalism”, while remaining closely linked to social and political changes.
Public involvement, education, information, dissemination: Public involvement in the taking of decisions on protection of urban and architectural heritage attains its fullest meaning in the term coined by Henri Lefebvre, the “right to the city”, the scope and meanings of which remain open to exploration, and which forms part of contemporary theory about cities. Town planning today includes process of participation and protection of cultural heritage, involving the public and professionals in the management of cultural and heritage resources, creating a greater sense of collective ownership of one’s own heritage and fostering the sustainability of the cultural organisations involved.
Management and economics of cultural heritage: The rapid changes in today’s societies related to globalisation, to the crisis in the economy, society and values and to the exponential spread of the use of ICT have a clear impact on approaches to cultural heritage: how to work on it, use it and experience it while exploiting its economic potential and promoting its sustainable use. Such a context reopens the debate on how to appreciate fixed cultural assets and extract “cultural value”. This means that the tools offered by different disciplines like cultural economics are revealing for the agents in charge of managing these assets.
