03.04.2008, at 6 p.m.

 

The title of the lecture refers on the one hand to the classical text by Louis Wirth “Urbanism As A Way of Life”; on the other hand to any cultural and pop-cultural connotations of the words “way” and “life”. The city is not merely a “place”, “urban” is not merely a description. The city is a challenge, and “being urban” is a specific ideological declaration. In contemporary, post-political, cynical world of late capitalism deprived of values, the City is a visible sign that we can and we should live differently than we do. Under the mask of neoliberal city there is hidden a Real City – the City as Way and Life.

Krzysztof Nawratek is a PhD architect, practising and writing urbanist, author of the book “Ideologie przestrzeni. Próby demistyfikacji” [“The ideologies of space. Attempts at demystification”] (Universitas, 2005). He writes for “Gazeta Wyborcza”, “Magazyn Obywatel”, “Czas Kultury”, “Krytyka Polityczna” and Latvian “Kulturas Forums” and “Diena”. As a visiting professor he lectured social geography at Latvian University in Riga. He happens to give visiting lectures in Poland.

The lecture is organized in cooperation with Korporacja Ha!art.