The Jubilee Alvar Aalto Symposium will present contemporary architects and artists with their works, ideas and visions, where an underlying rational thinking is present in one way or another. In spite of, or even as a result of their approach, poetry prevails and personal beauty is strongly present in their works. A question arises: is this "paradox" possible only through exceptional artist talent?
If man is a rational animal, is the architect a rational artist? Can rationality be seen as a structural or a mental framework that either liberates unpredictable poetic thinking or harnesses and channels personal expression? What are the ways to extend the very concept of rational, which Alvar Aalto saw as the only future for rational architecture?
Keynote Speakers
. "Florian Beigel Architecture Research Unit, London, UK"
. "Gavin Bryars Composer, UK"
. "Sean Godsell Sean Godsell Architects, Australia"
. "Dorte Mandrup-Poulsen Dorte Mandrup Architects, Denmark"
. "Manuel Aires Mateus Aires Mateus Architects, Portugal"
. "Samuli Miettinen Jkmm Architects, Finland"
. "Fuensanta Nieto, Enrique Sobejano Nieto Sobejano Architects, Spain"
. "Martin Rein-Cano Topotek 1 Landscape Architects, Germany"
. "Brigitte Shim Shim-Sutcliffe Architects"
Programme
Friday 28 July in the main auditorium of the University of Jyväskylä (designed by Alvar Aalto 1954-55)
. 10:00 Welcome Esa Laaksonen
. 10:05 Opening Sir Colin St. John Wilson
. 10:30 Introduction Juha Ilonen
. 10:45 Lecture Sean Godsell Regional Realities
. 11:45 Lecture Dorte Mandrup-Poulsen Visions of a Good Life
. 12:45 Lunch
. 14:30 Lecture Florian Beigel Teasing Modernity
. 15:30 Lecture Gavin Bryars Spaces Heard, Sounds Seen
. 19:00 Reception at the Alvar Aalto Museum, opening of the Less and More Exhibition Speakers at Work Saturday 29 July in the main auditorium of the University of Jyväskylä
. 10:00 Lecture Samuli Miettinen Contemporary and Timeless
. 11:00 Lecture Fuensanta Nieto, Enrique Sobejano Discovering Architectural Grounds
. 12:00 Lunch
. 14:00 Lecture Martin Rein-Cano Extending the Concept of Landscape
. 15:00 Lecture Brigitte Shim Fundamental Relationships
. 16:00 Coffee break
. 16:30 Lecture Manuel Aires Mateus Solids and Voids
. 20:00 Evening Party at Tanssisali Lutakko (address Schaumaninkatu 3), welcome speech by Markku Andersson, Mayor, City of Jyväskylä
Sunday 30 July in the Jyväskylä City Theatre foyer (designed by Alvar Aalto 1964-66, 1982) address Vapaudenkatu 36
. 10:00 Brunch
. 12:00 Discussion keynote speakers + invited guests, hosted by architects Petra Ceferin (PhD) and Juha Ilonen
. 14:00 Closing
. 14:15 Jyväskylä field-trip
Symposium Board
. "Juha Ilonen, Architect SAFA, Chairman"
. "Mikko Heikkinen, Architect SAFA, Heikkinen-Komonen Architects Oy, State Artist Professor"
. "Kristian Gullichsen, Architect SAFA, Professor, Gullichsen Vormala Architects"
. "Erkki Aho, Architect SAFA, the Finnish Association of Architects SAFA / Senate Properties"
. "Markku Andersson, Mayor, City of Jyväskylä"
. "Esa Laaksonen, Architect SAFA, Director, Alvar Aalto Academy"
. "Severi Blomstedt, Architect SAFA, Director, Museum of Finnish Architecture"
. "Tomi Summanen, Project Secretary, Alvar Aalto Academy"
. "Merja Vainio, Project Secretary, Alvar Aalto Academy"
Symposium Theme
According to Aristotle, man is a rational animal, and a happy life for human beings is a life governed by reason.
It is often forgotten that Aristotle recognised that we are not pure reason, that we also have passions, which imply a sentimental, affective element, an organic tendency of our body.
Alvar Aalto, as if to condense Aristotle's thoughts, saw that the only future for rational architecture was to extend the concept of rational.
In architecture, rationality has a bad reputation and is often seen as narrow-minded, cold and clean, excluding all other qualities of humanity. This fear can be summarised with Oscar Wilde's words: "Man is a rational animal who always loses his temper when called upon to act in accordance with the dictates of reason."
The Symposium will tackle the issue by presenting contemporary architects and artists with their works, ideas and visions, where an underlying rational thinking is present in one way or another. This may be a structural or a mental framework that either liberates unpredictable poetic thinking or harnesses and channels personal expression. Or a theme based on modularity. Or an emphasis on functional, even pragmatic needs.
The work of the lecturers will demonstrate how, in spite of, or even as a result of their approach, poetry prevails and personal beauty is strongly present in their works. A question arises: is this "paradox" possible only through exceptional artistic talent