FREIRAUM – BERLINO/AMSTERDAM – NEAPEL
FREIRAUM – BERLINO/AMSTERDAM – NEAPEL
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How do the inhabitants of Naples manage their living space in relation to other people?
On 9 November at 6.30 pm Yasser Almaamoun is presenting to the Neapolitan public the results of his research. Being in the framework of Freiraum project he will discus about it with the duo of artists Bianco-Valente, the urbanist Fabio Landolfo and the director of Goethe Institut-Neapel Maria Carmen Morese.
The international project Freiraum (literally free space) of the Goethe-Institut analyzes the concept of freedom in the European cities: what does the “Freiraum” consist of for the inhabitants of the different areas of the continent?
42 European Goethe Institutes confronted this question, identifying 5 themes related to the concept of freedom: the livable city, Europe and nationalisms (post-Europe), the defense of diversity, economic freedom and freedom of expression. From Oslo to Nicosia, the 42 participants asked questions about different aspects of freedom and now, together with numerous artists and cultural bodies, they are working to find answers.
The questions asked were presented in the form of videos. Later twinned cities worked in tandem to elaborate a creative response to the questions formulated in the videos.
In Naples, the artistic duo Bianco-Valente, making use of the collaboration of architect Fabio Landolfo, posed the following question:
Considering the very high population density and restricted free spaces, especially in the historic center, citizens have adapted to a lifestyle characterized by great tolerance. It often happens that someone feels the need to expand their living space, extending it to the street. But is this really freedom? How do you see this phenomenon in architecture and in the urban landscape? How do the inhabitants of Naples articulate their living space in relation to other people?
The Syrian-Berliner architect Yasser Almaamoun tried to answer this question with an ad-hoc project. In recent months, Almaamoun has been staying in Naples at SuperOtium. He has studied the city from his point of view, interviewing many Neapolitans and going to discover the inmost corners of the historic center. Searching for the most frequented streets and squares, Almaamoun has developed a proposal for the use of Piazza Carità, aka Piazza Salvo D’Acquisto, oriented to the needs of the population.
From 6 to 9 November Almaamoun returns to the capital of Naples to present his project to the public. A proposal? A surprise? A challenge? What does the Syrian architect in Berlin have in store for the inhabitants of Naples? Of course we know that it will be a provocation, a solicitation that will discuss both experts and individual citizens. There is one thing, Almaamoun is really sure: provoking debate means making art.