Ageing buildings | Ageing bodies – Participative curatorial practice

Buildings are not static objects - they transform and age together with their residents. Ageing tower blocks have recently been at the forefront of heated discussions about the ways in which residents are cared for, from the cladding of Grenfell tower to the social isolation of elderly high-rise residents.

What do we learn when we regard bodies as buildings and buildings as bodies? What does the fragility of our own bodies teach us about the care for our built environment?

With our project, we encourage a new approach towards caring for people and buildings. We will collaboratively engage with architects, anthropologists, visual practitioners and residents.

At the core of our project are two Romanian anthropologists, Dr Maria Șalaru, UCL, and Dr Gabriela Nicolescu, University of Oxford. Together, we will draw parallels between blocks of flats in Romania and the UK.

The curatorial practice included in the project consists in a participatory call. The two anthropologists will invite residents of London and Bucharest to contribute with different objects and materials related to ageing in their own home. The objects will be photographed, sent digitally, but also by mail or deposited in person in London at the Romanian Cultural Institute and in Bucharest at the Museum of Bucharest - where they can be included in a future exhibition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KYfO3uf-NE