Theorem
A case for an Anthology today
Abstract
In this paper it is analysed the way our knowledge and architecture it legitimized with the excuse of presenting “Theorem”, an anthology I have been working on for Viceversa Magazine. First, are introduced three case studies: 1) K. Micheal Hays’ anthology, 2) Harry Francis Mallgrave’s and Christina Contandriopoulos’ anthology and 3) Charles Jencks’ and Karl Kropf’s one. This operation is done in order to address a meta-theoretical question: how is theory theorized? what are its ways legitimation? In the first one, it is spotted the idea of a “discourse” (referring to Jürgen Habermas); In the second one, the presence of different discourses. In the third one once can easily see the critique of the idea of discourse. More specifically, through the last one, it is discussed the status of architectural knowledge today in relation to social media, new ways of producing and sharing knowledge, by referring to the theory of “media ecology” and authors such as Manuel Castells or Douglas Rushkoff. As sort of way of dealing with such a reality, it is presented a work I have been developing in the last months for Viceversa magazine: an anthology of contemporary theoretical texts entitled “Theorem”. The idea of the “theorem” is presented as a way of imagining a sort of legitimization of theory that is produced by inquiring and a by constant dialogue. Such an objective is attempted by the development of a “critical anthology”. The contributors have in fact at first selected a recent text (published since 1989, as the date of the invention of the Internet in Geneva at CERN) and they have written, or drawn, a critical comment in order to entrench the text in today’s context. In this sense, it is attempted the development of a critical thought in opposition and dialogue with the new ways of producing and sharing theory by the juxtaposition of theory and poetics.