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trawling for contemporary manifestos

Hey archinecteurs,

I'm looking for contemporary examples of manifestos. I'm not looking for vapid and toothless 'mission statements' (which seem to be the current mode), but angry screeds ranting and raving about contemporary issues that suggest alternative actions.

I got the historic stuff covered thanks to Conrads' Programs and manifestoes on 20th-century architecture. so don't bother suggesting the futurists or the situationalists - already got those.

So anybody have manifestos to share?

Thanks!

 
Mar 10, 10 5:44 pm
montagneux

Are you looking for well-knowns or Original Content?

Mar 10, 10 5:47 pm  · 
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either. Do you have your own?

Mar 10, 10 5:50 pm  · 
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outed

i'm not sure why it would have to be angry, but there are manifesto's out there. 4 examples:

1 - 'slowness' by tod williams billie tsien - currently up on their website (twbta.com)

2 - 'thinking architecture', the article not the book (although the article is in the book).

3 - 'critique of industrialization' by leon krier. not on the web (to my knowledge, but in a couple of his books).

4 - 'an incomplete manifesto' by bruce mau. not an architect but...

and that's just 4 that come to mind. you could easily throw in in david chipperfield's book/manifesto 'theoretical practice'. and tschumi's 'questions of space' and koolhaas' 'bigness' essay...

Mar 10, 10 7:09 pm  · 
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fays.panda

steal this book, abbie hoffman

Mar 10, 10 8:54 pm  · 
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i don't like mission statements. great post barry

Mar 10, 10 9:20 pm  · 
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won and done williams
on bullshit
Mar 10, 10 9:22 pm  · 
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a few years ago ICON magazine published a manifesto issue... some of them are pretty good.

Mar 10, 10 9:31 pm  · 
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nonneutral

I don't know that he has his thoughts organized into a single self-contained statement, but Lebbeus Woods expresses some original perspectives throughout his writing and blog archives.

Mar 11, 10 3:27 am  · 
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also, one of the assignments in the history/theory class that i ta'ed last semester was to write a manifesto... a few of them were really good... i could ask the students who did good ones if they mind if i send them to you if you want... just let me know.

Mar 11, 10 8:36 am  · 
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rutger
repair manifesto
Mar 11, 10 9:24 am  · 
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Great suggestions so far. Many thanks!

Architphil, that would be great. Our next studio project will start (in one week) with the students writing a thesis or manifesto and I'm trying to find relevant examples for the 21st century.

Mar 11, 10 10:33 am  · 
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have you searched for metamechanic's thread in which he challenged archinectors to submit a manifesto for his self-run competition. 

 

donna won! 

 

the original challenge post and the results:

 

http://archinect.com/forum/thread/42691/best-100-word-manifesto-gets-100-bucks

 

http://archinect.com/forum/thread/44273/best-100-word-manifesto

May 26, 11 7:10 am  · 
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TaliesinAGG

Ask yourself....Is this good for the company? Bill Lumberg, Initech.

May 26, 11 11:35 am  · 
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thanks Steven. I had forgotten about meta's challenge.

May 26, 11 12:50 pm  · 
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AP

wiel arets has a few essays that may qualify -- an alabaster skin, and virological architecture?

pamphlet architecture is also a good source for the stating of critical positions...though they may be somewhere between manifesto and mission statement...

May 26, 11 4:43 pm  · 
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PsyArch

There's ManTownHuman

 

There's also Jencks' Theories and Manifestos

 

 

May 30, 11 9:15 am  · 
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I've got this thread bookmarked, it's a great set of resources!

 

Here's another one, Kio Stark and Bre Pettis' Cult of Done Manifesto.

 

 

May 31, 11 12:13 pm  · 
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By the way: whatever happened to metamechanic? He still around under a different name?

May 31, 11 12:14 pm  · 
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Oberhausen Manifesto for the New German film. It led to films by  Kluge, Fassbinder, Herzog, Wenders and and woke up the German arts from post war amnesia. 

May 31, 11 12:25 pm  · 
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"Only Cannibalism unites us. Socially. Economically. Philosophically.
The unique law of the world. The disguised expression of all individualisms, all collectivisms. Of all religions. Of all peace treaties.

Tupi or not tupi that is the question.

Against all catechisms. And against the mother of the Gracos.

I am only interested in what’s not mine. The law of men. The law of the cannibal."

 

from the Cannibal Manifesto

May 31, 11 3:38 pm  · 
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eric chavkin

There was the Melodrama Manifesto about 20 years ago, mostly about film, literature.

 

eric chavkin

Jun 2, 11 9:20 pm  · 
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stevenas135

http://lebbeuswoods.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/manifesto-the-reality-of-ideals/

any more?  I also, have this thread bookmarked.  :)

Jun 24, 11 5:04 am  · 
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rutger

Manifesto for the New Nordic Kitchen

(Reminds me of dogma)

Jun 24, 11 6:08 am  · 
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rutger  those Noma guys are pretty interesting it seems like a culinary version of critical regionalism combined with BIGs idea of a glocal architecture..

 

Jun 26, 11 1:36 pm  · 
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