Quneitra Memory of a Free Festival
Location: Al Quneitra, Syria
Type: Idea
Partnership: IW Lab- British Council, -The Delfina Foundation
The Festival Is Envisioned As A Music Event Allowing Thousands Free Access Into This Normally Restricted Area; However The Project’s Elements Are Wider Spanning Architecture, Graphic Design, Music, And Film.
Shezad Dawood, The Leader Artist From UK, And Aaron Cezar From Delfina Foundation Discussed Ideas With IW.LAB About Developing Interventions In The Landscape. These Sculptural/Architectural Structures Would Take On The Form Of Utopian Uses Of The Site, Rather Than Reframing Historic Structures. The Central Idea Is That These Structures Point Towards A Possible Future Use Of Quneitra In As Much As Pointing People To The Concert Area And Act As An Alternative Form Of Signage.
With This Aspect Of The Project, The Engagement With Local People Of Quneitra Through Workshops Would Be Ideal.
IWlab - Utopian Structure
1- Requirements :
Pointing The Concert Area:
Elements Should Intercept Yet Steer Users To The Site, It Is Recommended That The Visual Scene Of The Integrated Structure Should Not Interpolate The Ruins, Yet It Is Also Recommended To Bear In Mind That Ruins Are Not The Original Scene Of Quneitra.
Pointing The Future Of Quneitra
We Recommend That The Sensitive Question Of The Future, Especially In This Case, Cannot Be Adhered With The Integration Itself. However, The Utopian Structure Will Perform Much Better If It Lets The Users, Locals And Visitors, To Imagine, Create, And Suggest The Answers Of These Questions. This Will Be More Discussed In The User’s Participation Sections.
Users Participation
We Have Suggested The Term Users To Indicate Both Local And Visitor Participants. However, The Uses Of The Structure Can Differ Accordingly. Users Will Find Themselves Facing The Questions Of Their Memories Or Imaginations. Locals On The Other Hand, Will Find Themselves Responsible To Add Or Maintain New Layer That Will Preserve Their Own Experience In Their Place.
2- Strategy
Temparmanent Integration
This Can Adopt The Concept Of Seeding/Growing/Branching Integration. Surely It Takes More Time To Be Installed But If The Approach Tries To Engage All Users Participation, The Output Will Be A Semi-Organic Grown Fabric That Completes When The Festival Run And Recycle In A New Period When It Is Done.
Historical Background
Places With Their Histories Are Personal, Each One Of Us Has Its Own Memos Of A Place. Furthermore, It Digs Even Deeper When A Place Becomes A Common Interest, Or A Common Cause. Someone's Perspective Of The Past And The Events And Even The Future Is Different From Another’s Perspective. Though Dates Are Concrete (1967, 1973, 2011…)
