from 1:1 to unfinite
psychostructures

In 1997 the international workshop "Progettare il confine. Gorizia/Nova Gorica: nuovi spazi del dialogo" initiated by ACMA adressed problems facing the divided city. How will the disappearance of the European Union border - expected in the next 10 years - affect the political, economical, social and cultural space in the divided city ? This question appeared crucial, not only with respect to the obvious differences in the physical cityspace. Its significance goes beyond economic and political factors: historic trauma, including the marginilization of a city straddling the iron curtain, as well as increased ethnic homogeneity since the border
between Italy and the former Yugoslavia was redrawn in 1947 (currently separating Italy and Slovenia) appeared to produce distrust and distance. The issue of spacial border definition takes place to an equal degree in the realm of residents 'psychosocial consciousness'.

The urban interventions Spremembazione (1997), Super 8 (1998) 100x100 (2000) and Celebration Rocket (2000/1) respond to the cities current divided condition and attempt to re-introduce the two different political, historical and cultural parts. Next to a "classic" structural urban concept in direct corperation with the residents on both sides of the border, an expanded mapping of the city was elaborated and by means of direct psychogeografic interventions, a parallel space, a new social plastic was set up. The trauma of the divided city were reconfiguered into a space of potentials.
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© transbanana / Margarethe Mueller