Utopias of the Rear-Guard: Architectural Histories of Resilience, Resistance, and Revolt

Abstract

How can we think of utopias in the dystopian times we live in? Are all utopian visions devoid of reformist agency, as historians have pointedly warned us? What is the role of architectural history in navigating these questions? This course critically interrogates the concept of utopia in its historical and spatial dimensions, through a combination of lectures, readings, and in-class discussion.

Objective

This course departs from two complementary propositions. The first is Manfredo Tafuri’s claim that modern architectural utopias not only lack reformist agency, but are often complicit in promoting and establishing the status quo of the ruling capitalist class. The second, is Anthony Vidler’s theorization of modernity as the defensive attitude of humanity against an increasingly threatening natural, social and political environment. Architecture's historical failure to breathe life into reformist, utopian dreams can feel disempowering, especially in light of current escalating ecological, political, and cultural challenges. If, however, the clean slate worlds envisioned by architectural avant-gardes have traditionally failed to materialize into a more equitable future, there is still a lot to learn from practitioners, theorists, and communities who devoted their efforts to resist disenfranchisement, and to reclaim and restore the equity of their present. Such “utopias of the rear-guard” will be the focus of our course. Bringing together archival material and secondary sources, we will explore the spatial articulation of feminist, decolonial, spiritual, and other collectivist sites of resistance. Although the gravity of this theme is heightened by the exigencies of our present, the emphasis of the class will be on pre- and early modern examples, with particular attention paid to the socio-political structures of the Enlightenment. Students will learn how to approach primary / archival and secondary sources and will be given a curated selection of readings to support their understanding of key concepts, such as utopia, identity, colonialism, etc. They will be given the opportunity to research their own case studies, curate material, and present on it at the end of the semester in a symposium format. Most importantly, they will learn methodologies to engage with the architectural form and the built environment critically, as well as to approach early modern episodes through contemporary lenses, in a historically responsible way. Attendance, participation, and collaboration are key, as most of the work will take place in the classroom, which too, will be approached as a form of a radicalized, “concrete utopia” of our present.

Resources