jeinic.ana neoliberalismandthecrisisoftheproject (1)

Ana Jeini | Anselm Wagner [eds.]

Is There(Anti-)Neoliberal

Architecture?

archi tek tur + analyse 3

Introduction 6AnaJeinicandAnselmWagner

1. Historical origins and perspectives

FromLiquidSpacetoSolidBodies 14ArchitecturebetweenNeoliberalismandControlSocietyOleW.Fischer

FramingthePossible 32CyberneticNeoliberalismandtheArchitectureofImmaterialLaborAndreasRumpfhuber

IntheSearchofEfficacy 46DebateandExperimentationafterMay68TahlKaminer

2. tHe end (and return?) of utopia and critique

NeoliberalismandtheCrisisoftheProject...inArchitectureandBeyond 64AnaJeinic

NeoliberalismandthePossibilityofCritique 78RixtHoekstra

3. case studies

Education,Consumption,Reproduction 88ThreeCautionaryTalesMariaS.Giudici

ArchitecturalAsymmetries 104GideonBoie(BAVO)

NeoliberalLiaisons 118InteractionsbetweenArchitectureandFashionintheAgeofCreativeIndustriesAnaLlorente

coNTeNTs

WhiteastheColorofNeoliberalism 134OlafPfeifer

BaukulturindustrieAPolemic 148OliverZiegenhardt

ContributorBiographies 158Imprint 160

64 ANAJEINIC 65 NEOLIBERALISMANDTHECRISISOFTHEPROJECT...

Ana Jeinic

NeolIberAlIsm ANd The crIsIs of The projecT... IN ArchITecTure ANd beyoNd

a utopia without a utopian project

Thecrisis of neoliberalismhas revealed another,muchdeeper andmoreconcerningone:thecrisisof(any)alternativeproject.Onemightgoevenfurtherandsaythattheneoliberaleraincludingitscurrentzombie-phase[1]ismarkedby theoverallcrisisof theverycatego-ryoftheproject:beitasocial,political,economic,cultural,techno-logical,urban,orarchitecturalone.Thepersistenceofanti-neoliberalprotests is not proof against, but rather itself an indication of, theaforementionedcrisis,forasaformofpoliticalengagement,protestsserveprimarilytodiscreditthecurrentregimeandlesstoarticulateanalternative.Withoutaunifyinghorizontheprojectofapossiblealternativeworldaccompaniedbyaplausibletheoryoftransformationtoward itprotestscan,atbest,achieve thealleviationof thecon-testedpoliticalpracticesand,atworst,provokeforthrightrepressionandmeansofcoercion.Inordertounderstand(andhopefullyovercome)thisparticularsitua-tioninwhichweseemtobetrapped,itisnecessarytotakealookatitsgenesis.Thecrisisofgrand projectsstartedinthenineteen-sixtieswithrisingskepticismtowardtheachievementsofallthreemutuallyintertwinedsuper projectsoftheera:modernism,technoscientism,

[1] Ireferheretothedescriptionofthecontemporarystateofneoliberal-ismaselaboratedinNeilBrenner,JamiePeck,andNikTheodore,Civic City Cahier 4: Afterlives of Neoliberalism(London:BedfordPress,2011).

andsocialism.Modernismastheculturalmetaprojectwasques-tionedbecauseofitstendencytowardstandardization,functionalism,mass production, and the resulting loss of individuality.Technosci-entismasthetechnologicalmetaprojectwasaccusedofcausingglobal ecological crisis.Socialism (including any formofmacroeco-nomic plannism)as the political meta projectwas criticized be-causeofitsallegedassociationwithauthoritarianism,repression,andthelackofthesystemscapacityforspontaneousregeneration.ThisintellectualclimatereacheditspeakattheonsetofneoliberalismintheyearsprecedingandfollowingthefallofBerlinWall.Atthattime,beingcriticalofutopianprojectsbecameanindispensablecompo-nentoftheglobalintellectualcommonsense.Neoliberal ideologyhasneverprovidedanew,comprehensivepolit-ical-economicproject thatcouldbeunderstoodasanalternative totheprecedingonesitratherconsciouslyrenouncedsuchambitions.The ideological fathersofwhat laterwastobecalledneoliberalismbelonged to themostvehementcriticsof thevery idea thatsocialsystemscanandshouldbeplanned.Theirfree-marketmantrawasexplicitly directed against utopianism, plannism, and regulation.[2]Theydenouncedallattemptsatconstructingabetterworldaspo-tentiallydisastrousandtotalitarianreveries,andinsteadofelaborat-ingthetheoreticalfoundationsofanalternativesocialsystem,theymerelyproposedasetofreformswhichwouldsupposedlymaketheexisting systemmoreefficient and capable of spontaneous self-regulation.[3]

Forsure,thecriticsofneoliberalideologyhaverightlypointedoutthatneoliberalism itself is autopia in thesense that its idealizedvisionof thefreemarket (whichwouldsupposedly fosterendlessgrowthanddemocratization)ishighlyunrealistic.[4]Thismightsoundatoddswiththeaforementionedanti-utopianbiasoftheneoliberalideology.Inordertoclarifythisseemingcontradiction,weneedtotakeacloserlook at the very conceptof utopianism thathasbeenattributed toneoliberalismbyitsopponents.Inthecriticalinterpretationsdescrib-ingneoliberalismasautopiainitsownright,themeaningoftheterm

[2] Aversionofanti-utopian,anti-regulatory,andpragmatistattitudewasadoptedbyallinitialproponentsoftheneoliberaleconomicdoctrine.SeeinparticularLudwigvonMises,Human Action: A Treatise on Economics(1949;repr.,Auburn:LudwigvonMisesInstitute,1998)andFriedrichvonHayek,The Road to Serfdom(1944;repr.,Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,1994).

[3] Onneoliberalismasaprolongedstateofde-regulativetransition(rath-erthanastablephaseofcapitalistdevelopment),seealsoBrenner,Peck,andTheodore,Afterlives of Neoliberalism.

[4] Criticismoftheutopianaspectoftheeconomicreasoningbehindcon-temporaryformsofgovernancewasalreadyformulatedbyFoucaultinhisreflectionsongovernmentality.SeeMichelFoucault,The Birth of Biopolitics: Lectures at the Collge de France, 19781979(NewYork:PalgraveMacmillan,2008).


utopiaisextendedsoastoincludewhatDavidHarveyhascalleduto-pianism of process.[5]Thisparticularformofutopianismdiffersfromtheclassicutopiasinthatitdoesnotprovideanelaboratedmodelofapossible,futuresociospatialformation(socialorder).Instead,itpro-videsanidealizedpictureofa(supposedlyself-sustainable)sociopo-liticalprocess,withoutpreciselydefiningwhereexactlythisprocessshould lead.Accordingly, theprinciplecatchwordsof theneoliberalideologyallexpresstransitionalprocesses,ratherthangraspableval-uesandqualities; economicgrowth,democratization,deregulation,modernization,optimization,flexibility,andsustainabilityarecasesinpoint.Capitalismingeneralandneoliberalisminparticularcanthusbeconsideredutopiaswithoutautopianproject:idealizeddescriptionsofaprocess,thehorizonofwhichremainsvastlyundefined.Theseconsiderationsbringusbacktoourstartingpoint:totheall-em-bracingcrisisoftheverycategoryoftheproject,whichcharacterizestheneoliberal era.Thepersistenceof neoliberal policies even afterthesystematicdiscreditingoftheirideologicalbasisisasymptomofthisalarmingsituation.Theendlesslyrepeatedexcusethatservestojustifypolicieswithundeniablydisastrouseffectsonsocialandenvi-ronmentalwell-being isgroundedonasimpleargument:neoliberalreforms,nomatterhowpainful their implementationmightbe,arenecessary,becausethere isnoalternativetocuringtheillnessesanddegeneraciesthatthefailedgrandprojectshaveleftinourso-cialsystems.Thisjustificationstrategycouldeasilyintimidateanyal-ternativeprojectinanintellectualclimatewherethe project as suchhasbecomeanill-famedconceptsuspectedofcontainingthegermsofunfeasibility,totalitarianism,andcatastrophe.Ifhostilitytowardtheproject(understoodascomprehensivemodelofapossiblefuture)isseenasoneofthebasicfeaturesofneoliberal-ism,thenapproachingthequestion of the projectbecomesanintrin-sic,primarilytaskofanypoliticsaimedatovercomingtheneoliberalstatusquo.Thefirststepinaccomplishingthistaskwouldbetore-conceptualizetheexistinganti-neoliberalpoliticalstrategiesinanewmannerdeparting fromtheconceptof theproject incorporated inthem.Itisherethatarchitecturecomesintoplayinaquiteunusualway, considering that the relationshipbetweenarchitectural designandneoliberalismhashithertobeenunderstoodandstudiedmainlyintermsoftheeffectsthatneoliberalpolicieshaveontheproductionofbuiltenvironment.

[5] SeeDavidHarvey,Spaces of Hope(Edinburgh:EdinburghUniversityPress,2000),pp.1739.

Architecturehascommonlybeenunderstoodasthedisciplineoftheproject(Entwurf).[6]Differentfromthenotionoftheproject inotherengineering disciplines, the traditional architectural project can beconsidered a project in the most sublimated and socially relevantsenseoftheterm:itisamodelofapossiblefuturesituationdeter-minedbyaspatialformcontainingandembodyingamicro-levelsocialstructure.Thisbringsustothefollowingpoint: ifarchitectureisthedisciplinebasedontheproject,andtheneoliberaleraischaracterizedby thegeneral crisis of the latter (affecting, of course, architectureaswell), thencouldntcontemporaryarchitecturalpracticebetakenasamicro-modelforexploringtacticsandstrategiesofdealingwith(andpossiblyovercoming)thiscrisis?ThischallengingtaskliesatthecoreofthebroaderresearchprojectIamcurrentlyengagedwith.Thetextathand isanattempt todefineabasicconceptualgrid,withinwhich a parallel analysis of architectural and political strategies fordealingwiththecontemporarycrisisoftheprojectcouldbeplaced.Atitsmostgenerallevel,thegridsuggestsdividingthesestrategiesintwobasiccategories:theonestryingtoreaffirmtheprojectinthisor anotherway, and the ones contributing to the ongoing dissolu-tionoftheproject(asweknewit)andtoitssuccessivesubstitutionbythepredominantlytemporalcategorieslikeprocess,practice,andscenario.Inthefollowingexaminationofthesetwobasictendencies,Ishall trytoexposetheirpotentialsanddeadends inthehistoricalcontextshapedbyneoliberalismanditscrisis.Owingtobothspaceconstraintsandthephaseofmyengagementwiththesubject,thisarticlewillnot contain considerationsonapossible solution to theproblem:itsultimatescopeistoprovideinitialanalyticalanchorsfromwhichtheprojectivesearchforalternativesolutions(alternativecon-ceptualizationsofthe ideaofboththearchitecturalandthepoliticalproject)couldstart.

in defense of (the utopian) project

DavidHarveyhasconsideredalltraditionalutopianprojects(notonlyarchitectural!)asutopias of spatial form.[7]Thisisbecausetheyareal-waysboundtoaspecificimaginaryplaceandhaveastableandstatic

[6] TheGermantermEntwurfisparticularlywellsuitedfordescribingthisbasiccategoryofarchitecturalpractice,sinceitsmeaningliessomewherebetweentheEnglishprojectanddesign.Inthecontextofmyargument,projectistoowideofaconcept,sinceitcanrefertoanypersonalorcollectiveambition,whereas designistoonarrow,sinceitdelimitstheprojectofform/shapetoitsmaterial/visualdimen-sion,marginalizingitssocialcontent.Entwurfreferstoanelaboratedvisionofafuturesituation,whichcanincludebothformal/materialbutalsosocial,political,technological,andotheraspects(as,forexample,Vertragsentwurf, Gebudeentwurf, Gesellschaftsentwurf,andWeltent-wurf).

[7] SeeHarvey,Spaces of Hope,pp.15963.


socialorder,whichisdeterminedandmaintainedbyaparticularspa-tialform.Viewedfromthisperspective,thereisaremarkableanalogybetweenutopiasandarchitecturalprojects (as longasbothareun-derstoodasprojectiveconceptionsofsociospatialform).Ofcourse,thisdoesnotmeanthatallutopiasareequallyarchitecturalorthateveryarchitecturaldesignisutopianindeed.Utopias(ofspatialform)representrathertheultimateradicalizationofthearchitecturalproject.Iftheriseandpersistenceofneoliberalismareseenasaresultandexpressionofthegeneralcrisisof(utopian)projects,thenitappearslogical that thefirstandmostobviouseffectof thissituationonar-chitecturalpracticewasthegradualdeclineoftheutopiancharacterofarchitecturaldesignandthereorientationofthedisciplinetowardconcrete andrealistic tasks.[8]Also accompanying the crisis ofutopianismwas thegeneral reductionof social andpolitical aspira-tions in architectural projects.Of course, this tendency did not gounnoticed by critically minded theorists and practitioners. Variousstrategieshavebeenundertakenwiththeaimofrestoringand/orre-thinkingthearchitecturalproject (asaprojectofspatial form!)onamoreradicalbasis.Tobesure,notallofthesestrategiespromotetherecuperationofthesignificanceofarchitecturaldesignbythewayofitsre-utopianization.Someofthemaresubstantiallyconservative,[9]whileotherscouldmostadequatelybetermedanalytical.[10]However,sincethemainaimofthisarticleistoexaminetheprojective(thatis,future-directed)dimensionofarchitecturalandpoliticalprojects,Ishalldelimitthefollowinganalysistothosestrategiesthatstrivetodefendar-

[8] SeeTahlKaminer,Architecture, Crisis and Resuscitation: The Re-production of Post-Fordism in Late-Twentieth-Century Architecture(London:Routledge,2011),pp.11567.

[9] Theresponseoftheconservativestrategiestotheongoingmarginal-izationofarchitecturalandurbandesignandtheassociateddisintegra-tionofarchitecturalform(atthescaleofthecity)consistsofattemptstopreservethecompactformsoftraditionalcityscapes.Withinthesestrategies,spatialformmaybeunderstoodintwoways.Itcanbeviewedasaconsciouslyconstructedframeworkwithinwhichalsotheidealized,traditionalsocialformoftheintegratedcommunitycansupposedlybepreserved(e.g.,NewUrbansim).Or,alternately,itcanbeviewedasdetachedfromanykindofsocialandpoliticalmeaningwhatsoever,andthuslaidopenforservingasaninstrumentofneolib-eralurbanprocesses(likegentrification),beyondoragainstthegoodattentionsoftheinvolvedarchitects(e.g.,thedepoliticizedeffortstoen-genderdensityandpreserveurbanitytypicaloftheEuropeancontext).

[10] CharacteristicofthisstrategyisthepositionofPierVittorioAureli.Inhiswork,architecturalformisdeployednotasameansforpreservingthetraditionalsocialorvisualorder,butasaninstrumentforframing,visualizing,andoutdoingthecontemporaryeconomicandpoliticalten-dencies.Bythisradicaloperationoflendingformtothelatentforcesofthegivenreality,adecisiveruptureisintroducedintotheincessantfluxofneoliberaladjustmentpolicies.ForAurelisunderstandingofthecriticalpotentialofthearchitecturalproject,see,forexample,PierVittorioAureli,The Possibility of an Absolute Architecture(Cambridge,MA:MITPress,2011)orPierVittorioAureliandMartinoTattara,ArchitectureasFramework:TheProjectoftheCityandtheCrisisofNeoliberalism,New Geographies01(2009),pp.3951.

chitecturaldesignagainstitsongoingmarginalizationbyrestoringitsuto-pianaspect.Theideaisthatexploringthereemergenceandstatusofarchitecturalutopianisminthepresentcouldhelpustorevealsomegeneralaspectsandproblemsoftheutopianismofspatialformasapoliticalstrategywithinandagainstneoliberalism.Although the riseof theneoliberalpoliticalpragmatismaffectedar-chitectureinthefirstplacebyvacatingtheutopiancontentofarchi-tecturaldesign,aparticulartypeofutopianprojectmoreprecisely,a particular utopian motifhas started to flourish, thus becomingtheuniversalrefugeforutopianaspirationsofarchitectureinthelatetwentiethandearlytwenty-firstcenturies.Ifwedontcounttheself-proclaimedutopianismof theformalexperimentationcharacterizingthestarchitectureof thenineties, thecommondenominatorof theremnantgrand-scale architectural utopias in the last threedecadeshashadaconcisename:sustainable city.Itappearsasifallhopes,beliefs, and ambitions of classical utopias had survivedwithin thislimitedfieldofutopianimagination:faithintechnologicaldevelopment(sustainablemodernization);vastspatialscaleofproposedinterven-tions(masterplansforwholenewcitiesandregions);radicalchangesoftheexistingdemographicstructures,prevailinglifestyles,andtheirmaterialconditions(geoengineering,terraforming);andthebelief indefiniteformulasthatwouldguaranteeagooddesign(formfollowsenergy[11]).[12]

Acomparisonwiththearchitecturalutopiasofthepastcenturyimme-diatelyrevealsan interestingaspectoftheform-basedarchitecturalutopianismofourtime.Theprevailingtypesofarchitecturalutopiasin the twentieth centurywere either aimed at envisioning the ap-propriatearchitectureforanalternativesocialsystem(fromRussianConstructivismtoConstantsNew Babylon),oratchannelingthetech-nologicalpotentialsoftheexistingsystemtowardthebettermentofthelivingstandardandculturalfulfillmentofthemasses(fromFrankLloydWrightandLeCorbusiertoBuckminsterFuller).Incontrast,thegreen utopiasoftheearlytwenty-firstcenturyare,inthefirstplace,

[11] IndicativeoftheubiquityofthisformulaincontemporaryarchitecturaldiscourseisthenumberoftheresultsfoundinaGooglesearchforthisphrase(morethan10,000).

[12] Thesearesomeoftheexemplaryprojectsinthiscontext:FosterandPartnersMasterplanforMasdarinAbuDhabi(anewlyplanned,zero-carbon, zero-waste, car-free city),VincentCallebautsLilypad(auto-suficientamphibiouscityforecologicalrefugees),ChristopheDMBarliebsGreenDesertMine(autonomouscitysystemintheEasternSaharaclusteredaroundthebasesofhugethermalchimneys),OMAsZeeKrachtProject(amasterplanforarenewableenergyinfrastructureintheNorthSea),TerreformsFutureNorth:EcotariumsintheNorthPole(aprojectforrelocationoftheentireexistingcitiesintotheNorthPoleregionduetotheclimatechange),ManuelDominguzsNomadicCity(aprojectformobilecitiesmovingontankwheelstotheplaceswithabundantenergysources),MADArchitecturesSuperstar(self-sustainingmobileChinaTown),andsoforth.


concernedwiththepossibilitiesofsurvivingthepotentiallydisastrousconsequencesofthegivenpoliticalandeconomicdevelopmentshall-markedbyneoliberalism(withouttryingtoundermineorsignificantlyrechannelthesedevelopments).Inotherwords,ifforthepurposeofthisargumentweroughlytermthefirstdescribedtypeofarchitectur-alutopiasrevolutionary,andthesecondonereformist,thenwecancalltheremaining,newtypewitharemarkablereferencetothebib-licalcontextsalvatorian.Twoquestionsimmediatelyarisefromthisjuxtaposition.Firstly,why is it that thegrand-scaleutopianprojectsceasedtobeperceivedasinstrumentsforapossiblewayoutofthedominantpoliticaltrajectoriesandideologies,ratherhavingbecomeopportunisticanduncriticalmeansforsavingwhatcanbesaved?Sec-ondly,ifneoliberalismhasalwaysbeenapragmatic,process-oriented,andanti-utopianpolitical affair, how is it thenpossible that it couldnotonlytoleratebutevenpartiallyincorporateinitsownfunctioningmechanismsacertaintypeofamacro-utopianismofspatialform?Asforthefirstquestion,thereasonsforthedeclineofradicalmacro-utopianismonthepartoftheoppositionalpoliticalforceslieathand:thecriticalargumentsagainstutopiasformulatedinthesecondhalfofthetwentiethcenturyseemtohavebeentakenmoreseriouslybythe critics of neoliberal ideology thanbyneoliberalism itself. In hisreflectionontheutopianismofspatialform,DavidHarveyhimselfhasacknowledged and neatly summarized the critique of classical uto-pias.[13]Theargumentgoesthattheutopiasofspatialformarenec-essarily authoritarian, because a repressive powersupported andsymbolicallyrepresentedbybuiltspatialstructuresmustbemobi-lizedtomaintainthesocialorderproposedbytheutopianproject.Afurtherproblematicpointconcernsthematerializationoftheutopianproject.Theutopiasofspatialformarenotconcernedwiththepro-cessesthatmustbemobilizedinthecourseoftheirrealization.Asaresult,theseprocessestendtobeeitherutterlyviolent(asisthecasewithrevolutionaryprocesses)orsimplynotviable.Criticallymindedarchitectshadalreadybecomeawareoftheseproblems(immanentalsotothearchitecturalutopiasofmodernity)evenlongbeforetheyweresummarizedbyHarvey:atthevery latestwiththeriseoftheissueofparticipationintheAmericancontextandwiththeSituationistInternationalintheEuropeancontext.Theargumentsof theSituationists (andother radical leftistsof thesixtiesandseventies)directedagainstthestateanditsauthoritarianandutopianplannismwerepartlyassimilatedandrechanneledbythefree-marketneoliberalmantraoftheeightiesandnineties.Consider-ing this, it seems all themore surprising that thehigh-tech green utopianismcouldresisttheprevailinganti-utopianclimateoftheera.

[13] Harvey,Spaces of Hope,p.163.

However,theperplexitydisappearsassoonasweconsidertheseem-inglyparadoxicalalliancebetweenneoliberalmarketandthestate.Asthecriticsofneoliberalismhaveoftenpointedout,thefreemarkethasneveractuallybeenfree(andnevercouldbe),sinceitsimplementa-tion,maintenance,andeventualrescuinghasalwaysbeenreliantonauthoritarianinterventiononthepartofthestate.[14]Inotherwords,neoliberalismhasalwaysneededauthoritariansupportinsavingitnotfromitsenemiesbut,firstandforemost, fromitself.Evidently, thisdestructive potential does not affectmerely the functioning of theglobalmarket, but also the natural resources and ecological condi-tions.Inthislight,thearchitecturalgreenutopianismofspatialformappearsasthesummitofanauthoritarianmanagementofsocioeco-logicalsystemsneededtoprovideconditionsforintactaccumulationofcapitalintheeraofecologicalcrisis.Thisfeatureofthecontemporaryutopiasofsustainabilitydidnotgounnoticedby thecriticallymindeddesigners.GermanarchitectandtheoristFriedrichvonBorrieshasconductedimpressiveresearchonthesubject,presentingitintheformofanexhibitionfollowedbythebookKlimakapseln (ClimateCapsules) (1,2).[15]Althoughwritteninthestyleofhigh-techeco-utopias,thistextturnsouttobeahighlydystopian vision of an extremely totalitarian, exclusive, and unjust

[14] See,forexample,DavidHarvey,A Brief History of Neoliberalism(Ox-ford:OxfordUniversityPress,2005).

[15] FriedrichvonBorries,Klimakapseln: berlebensbedingungen in der Katastrophe(Berlin:Suhrkamp,2010).

(1) ilkka Halso, Museum of Nature, 2003source: friedrich von Borries, Klimakapseln: berlebensbedin-gungen in der Katastrophe (Berlin: suhrkamp, 2010), p. 136


society,whichlivesencapsulatedintheprotectivecapsulesneededforprovidingahabitablelifeaftertheecologicalcatastrophe.[16]InthemannerofSuperstudiosTwelve Cautionary Tales for Christmas,Fried-richvonBorriescapturesthealarmingtendenciesofthepresentandextrapolates them into an imaginary future.Thus, even though theformoftheutopianprojectisused,itsdirectionisreversedinsteadofbeingaprojectforthefuture,utopiabecomesacriticalreflectiononthepresent,losinginthiswayitsprojectivecharacterandbecom-ingaprimarily reflexive tool.But if theoppositionalutopianprojectceasestobeaprojectitself(inasmuchasthelatterisunderstoodasapositiveproposalforthefuture),whatdoesthatmeanfortheop-positionalarchitecturalandpoliticalpractice?Isthereanotherwayofthinkingtheproject?Orcouldthealternativetotheneoliberal(non-)project itself be anon-projectthat is, a strategy that deliberatelyrejectsprovidingacomprehensiveprojectionofanalternativeurban,social,political,cultural,and/ortechnologicalformation?Inapproach-ingthelatterquestion,letushavealookattheoppositewayofdeal-ingwiththecontemporarycrisisofprojectivethinking.

dissolution of spatial form (or the project without a project)

If at theonepoleof contemporary architectures responses to theneoliberal crisis ofprojectivitywe find a peculiar comeback of themacro-utopianismofspatialform(stampedbythemagicwordsus-

[16] ForanotherinterpretationofBorriessbookKlimakapseln inthecontextofcontemporaryutopianism,seeMara-DariaCojocaru,Die Geschichte von der guten Stadt: Politische Philosophie zwischen urbaner Selbstver-stndigung und Utopie(Bielefeld:Transcript,2012),pp.21837.

(2) Haus-rucker-co, Oasis Nr. 7, 1972, Kassel, documenta 5source: friedrich von Borries, Klimakapseln: berlebensbedin-gungen in der Katastrophe (Berlin: suhrkamp, 2010), p. 138

tainability), thentheoppositepole ismarkedbytheprocess-based,distributed,micro-scaledesignpracticesthatincludeminiaturization,fluidization,andtemporalizationofspatialformtoalargerorsmallerextent.Within thesestrategies, the formhasmostlybeensubordi-natedtotheprocessofitscreationandtransformationsometimesuptothepointwhereithasallbutdissolved.Inthiscontext,wecouldrightlyspeakofthedisappearanceofthearchitecturalproject(asweknew it). It would bemisleading to put all design paradigms con-cernedwithspatialpracticesandprocesses(ratherthanforms)un-derthesameumbrella,sincetheyincludesuchdifferentapproaches,includingexperimentsconcerningtheretreatoftheauthorfromthedesignprocess;parametricdesign;developmentofopen-endedso-ciospatialscenarios;flexiblestrategiesinurbandesignasacritiqueoftop-downmasterplanning;participatorydesign;ephemeralandmo-bilearchitectures,etcetera.However,itwouldgobeyondthescopeof this article to analyzeeachof themseparately and to reflectontheirspecificrelationtotheneoliberalideology.Sincetheinitialpointofmy considerationswas the question of (missing) alternatives toneoliberalism,thefollowinganalysiswillbelimitedtothoseprocess-baseddesignstrategiesthathavebeeneitherdeliberatelydevelopedorretroactivelyinterpretedascriticalofneoliberalism.InhisrecentpublicationDistributed Agency, Designs Potentiality,[17]art historianTomHolert has offered a short theory of architecturalandartisticengagementthatcanbeseenasamanifestoproclaimingmodest,embedded,collective,andstrategicdesignpracticesinsteadofthegrand-scale,visionary,autonomous,andstaticprojectsassoci-atedwithmodernistutopianism.[18]Thecentralargumentofthebook-letbringsaboutanewnotionofthedesignerasapractitionerinvolvedin a set of distributedmicro-practices.These, according to Holert,couldcontributetoagradualtransgressionoftheoperationalpatternsof neoliberal capitalism through the ongoingwork of recycling, re-composing, and recoding thegiven reality. Symptomatically,Holertconsciously avoids describing any exemplaryprojects, because histheoryproposesadeliberateanonymizationandmoderationof thedesignpracticeuptothepointwheredesignerbecomesthenameofanattitude,ratherthanofaspecificprofession.Asimilarargumenthas beenmade by PeterMrtenbck andHelgeMooshammer. InNetzwerk Kultur: Die Kunst der Verbindung in einer globalisierten Welt,[19]thetwoauthorsreflectonarchitectural/artisticpracticesthat

[17] TomHolert,Civic City Cahier 3: Distributed Agency, Designs Potential-ity(London:BedfordPress,2011).

[18] ForadetailedanalysisofHolertsargument,seemyreviewentitledAStrongArgumentforaWeakTheory(ofDesign),GAM09(2013),pp.2125.

[19] PeterMrtenbckandHelgeMooshammer,Netzwerk Kultur: Die Kunst der Verbindung in einer globalisierten Welt(Bielefeld:Transcript,2010).


(intheiropinion)caninducereconfigurationsandtransformationsofsociophysicalspace.However,thesetransformationsarenotattainedbymeansofaprojectofspatialformbutareratherachievedintheveryperformanceofnetworkedarchitectural/artisticoperations.Asanexample,theauthorsrefertotheprojectcalledLost Highway Exhibi-tion,towhichIshallcomelater.Both Holerts and Mrtenbck/Mooshammers conceptions of ar-chitectural/artistic practice are related to the deliberately weakand non-radical contemporary theories of political agency, suchas actor-network theory, queer theory, post-operaist theories, andsoforth.Withinthishugeandhighlyheterogeneouspooloftheo-reticalconcepts,theonethatstandsoutforitsexplicitprocess-andnetwork-basedcharacter, aswell as itsaccentonself-organization,isAntonioNegriandMichaelHardtsconceptofthemultitude.[20]Thetermmultitudeismeanttodescribethedemocraticallyorganized,po-tentiallyoppositionalnewclassemergingoutofcontemporaryglobalcapitalism(or,asNegriandHardttermit,theempire).Thefollowingthreeaspectsoftheconceptareimportantinourcontext.First,itisrelatedtoasubstantiallyprocess-based(defactoHegelian)argumentclaimingthattheclassesexploitedincapitalismhavebeenproceed-ingtowardincreasinglydemocraticformsoforganization.Second,theorganizationalformofwhatthetwoauthorsconsidertheadvancedformofdemocracyisthatofthenetwork.[21]Third,andmostimpor-tantly,theconceptofthemultitudedissolvesandreducesthegoalsandprogramsofpoliticalstruggletotheformandpracticeofpoliticalorganizing.Inotherwords,thedemocracyofthemultitude isnotapoliticalproject,butratheradynamicandspontaneousphenomenon,whichemergesintheveryprocessofpoliticalcontestation.Letmenowsuggestaparticular(and,atfirstglance,somewhatpe-culiar)contextfortestingtheabove-exposedtheoriesofarchitecturalandpoliticalagency:thepost-Yugoslavianlandscapeoftransitionalar-chitecturesandpolitics.Thereasonforthischoiceliesintheparticularshapeofeconomic/politicaltransformationscharacterizingtheregionafterthebreakdownofthesocialistprojectandthesubsequentvio-lentdissolutionofYugoslavia.Thedestructiveeffectsandcomplexityof theseprocessesmade the integrationofpost-Yugoslaviancoun-triesintotheneoliberalfluxofundisturbedcapitalcirculationsome-whatcontroversialandcomplicated.Theunconditionedliberalizationand invasive internationalizationofmarkets havebeenparalleled inthiscasebytheemergenceofmanifoldinformaleconomicnetworks,

[20] SeeMichaelHardtandAntonioNegri,Multitude: War and Democracy in the Age of Empire(NewYork:PenguinPress2004).

[21] Inthiscontext,itisimportanttonotethatthenetworkasaspatialfigureormetaphoristhoroughlyantagonistictotheconceptofspatialform,sinceitismadeupofpurerelationsandprocessesandisvirtu-allyendlessandall-encompassing.

spontaneous survival strategies, and ephemeral social and spatialconfigurations.Theseincludethemanifoldillegalmarketplacestypicalofthenineties,uncontrolledurbandevelopments(mostlyparasitizingontheexistinginfrastructure),spontaneousappropriationsandadap-tationsoftheabandoned,formerlystate-ownedindustrialandmilitaryfacilities, but also the cooperative home-to-home networks for theexchange of goods and services, and independent (often squattedandpartlyunofficial)spacesforartisticandmediaactivities(3,4).The relationship between thesealternative practices and the in-stitutionalpoliticsisanythingbutsimple:whiletheyarenotdirectlyintegrated into theofficial (neoliberal) economy, theycannot in anycasebeconsideredalternativeeconomicprojects,sincetheirrelation-ship to the formaleconomicprocesses ismostly aparasiticalone.Furthermore,manyofthemareequallyambivalentfromtheethicalstandpoint: although theymight represent remarkableexamplesofcreativeorganizationalstrategies,theyoftenembodyformsofexclu-sion,violentdispossession,andunjustdistribution(sometimesevenworsethanthoseintheformalizedandlegalizedprocessesofneolib-eraleconomicexploitation).Urbanandarchitecturalexpressionsofself-organizedsurvivalpractic-esinthepost-Yugoslaviancontexthavebeenthesubjectofpolarizedandcontroversialresearchandinterventionsonthepartofacademicarchitecturalculture.Ontheonehand,theprevailingattitudeamongeducatedarchitectstowardthewildarchitecturesofthe(never-end-ing)transitionalerahasbeenamixtureofdisregardandscornfulcriti-cism.Ontheother,theprogressivestreamofyoungerandmostlyinternationally acting researchers and practitioners has increasinglyinterpreted thesearchitecturesas fascinatingexpressionsof inven-tive,non-hierarchical,andnon-ideologicalpractices,whichignoretheterritorialdivisionsimposedbynationalistideologiesandtheabsurdlaws imposedbytransitionalbureaucracies.Sincethe latenineties,aseriesofarchitectural/artisticprojects (mostlycombiningresearchbasedonvisualmappingwithsmall-scaleinterventions)hasbeende-votedtothepost-Yugoslavianinformalspatialpractices.[22]Oneofthemostextremeexamplesoftheresearchanddesignpro-cedurescharacterizingtheseprojectsistheLost Highway Expedition,which took place in 2006 (andwas later enthusiastically portrayedbythesamePeterMrtenbckandHelgeMooshammer[23]).Thegoal

[22] Someexemplaryprojectsinthiscontextinclude:Genetics of the Wild CityaSTEALTHGroupsresearchontheinformalurbandevelop-mentsinBelgrade;AzraAkamijasstudyoftheself-organizedinter-ethniccooperationattheArizonaMarketintheBrckoDistrict(BosniaandHerzegovina);SrdjanJovanovicWeisssnumerousstudiesontransitionalturbo-architectures,ETHBaselsresearchprojectBelgrade: FormalInformal;andsomeofthecasestudiesdevelopedwithintheHarvardGraduateSchoolofDesignsProjectZagreb.

[23] SeeMrtenbckandMooshammer,Netzwerk Kultur,pp.117.


oftheexpedition,whichgatheredtogethernumerousarchitects,art-ists,and thinkers,wasdefinedas follows:Amultitudeof individu-als,groupsandinstitutionswillformamassiveintelligentswarmthatwouldmoveroughlyalongtheunfinishedHighway of Brotherhood and UnityintheformerYugoslavia....ThereasonfortheLost Highway ExpeditionistofindandstudymissingrelationshipsonthehighwayandlookatthemasamodelfordiverseEurope.[24]Duringtheexhibi-tion,whichlastedforaboutamonth,theparticipantswerepursuingtheirindividual(thoughsometimesinterrelated)architectural,artistic,andresearchpractices;theywereexchangingtheirideasintheformofdiscussions,workshops,performances,andpresentationsbothwithinthegroupandwithlocalsupportersandaudiencesinthecitieslocatedalongtheexhibitionroute.Networkinginasenseofcreat-ing new productive associations in order to reconnect and re-mapthe fragmented territory of the former statewas understood notonlyasapossiblepositivesideeffectof theproject,butas itspri-marycontent.OneoftheessentialqualitiesoftheoperationseenfromtheperspectiveofMrtenbckandMooshammeristhattheemergent network of relationships remainedflexible andendlesslyopen:theprojectdidnotdetermine(eitherthroughfixedinstitutionalarrangementsor throughmaterializedspatial forms)whatandwhocouldbeincludedandwhatandwhowouldhavetobeexcludedfromthenetwork. In otherwords,Lost Highway Expedition deliberatelyeschewedfillingthe ideologicalvacuumleftafterthebreakdownofthecommunistideologywithanyfixedandclearalternativecontent.Thus,bycarefullyavoidinganythingthatcouldbeconsideredadefi-nite,universalist,ideological,andauthoritarianproposal,itrenounceditsstatusasprojectatleastinthetraditionalsenseoftheterm.However,letusnowforgetforawhiletheoptimisticperspectiveofMrtenbckandMooshammerandinsteadaskourselveswhatcriti-calpotentialprojectslikeLost Highway Expeditionreallyhave(ordonothave) in the faceof risingeconomic injustice, impoverishment,andindebtednessintheideologicallyandmateriallydesertedspacescaught inthewebofneoliberalglobalization.Thispotential remainsdeliberatelyreducedtofindingandestablishingalternativesociospa-

[24] Seetheofficialpresentationoftheprojectathttp://www.scho-olofmissingstudies.net/sms-lhe.htm(accessedJuly2013).

(3) improvised and/or illegal infrastructure and houses around arizona Market in Bosnia and Herzegovina, documented by azra akamija, 2001source: azra akamija, Arizona Road, Masters thesis (graz: graz university of technology, 2001), p. 34

tial connections not (yet) establishedwithin the formal economiesand official policies.However, the absence of any determinedpro-jective content (orofanynotionofautopiaofspatial form)makesit impossible toestablisha stablecriterionbywhich theemergentnetworksofoppositioncanbedistinguishedfromthoseofexploita-tion.IfwegobacktothetheoryofNegriandHardt,thiscriticalinsightintotheconceptionofarchitectural/artisticpracticeembodiedbytheLost Highway Expedition reveals that theconceptof themultitudecannotprovideafeasiblealternativetotheforcesofneoliberalcapital-ism,solongasitdoesnotincorporateanydeterminedandunifyingprojectapartfromitsorganizationalfigure(theidealizedfigureoftheever-evolving,non-hierarchical,transientnetwork).Inotherwords,solongassuchproject is rejected, thenetworksof themultitudewillcontinuouslymergewithandgetdissolvedwithin thenetworksoftheempire.

facing the gordian Knot

Theexpositionofthedeadendsofthetworadicalresponsestotheneoliberalcrisisofprojectivityconfrontsuswithanawkwardques-tion. If grand utopian projects necessarily bear the germ of totali-tarianism,andthestrategiesthatrenouncetheproject(resortingtomicro-practices and distributed processes) are suspected of ineffi-ciency and potential dilution, thenwhat formmight the alternativeprojecttoneoliberalismtake?Tryingtoformulateaquickanswertothisquestionwouldimplyunderestimatingitsimportanceandcom-plexity.There is only the conclusion that canbe reachedbasedontheafore-exposedconsiderations:theideaoftheprojectcapableofovercomingthepresentstatusquowillhavetooutlinetheformofapossiblebetterworld,whilesimultaneouslytakingintoaccountpro-cessesoftransformationtowardit;todetermineahorizonofeman-cipatorychangebutallowforitsconstantredrawing;andtoentailamacroscopicmodelbutpresupposethatthetransitionwouldratherbe initiatedbymicroscopicpractices. Inmyview,ayet-to-comere-conceptualizationof theprojectcapableofmeetingtheseclaims isthemostchallengingandindispensabletaskofarchitecturaltheory,ifithastheambitionoffosteringdesignpracticethatcouldrightlybeconsideredanti-neoliberal.

(4) improvised and/or illegal infrastructure and houses around arizona Market in Bosnia and Herzegovina, documented by azra akamija, 2001source: azra akamija, Arizona Road, Masters thesis (graz: graz university of technology, 2001), p. 35

jeinic.ana neoliberalismandthecrisisoftheproject (1)

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