6th São Paulo International Biennale of Architecture and
Design
Living in cities: Reality Architecture Utopia
South Africa 2005: Utopia. Nowhere. Close.
sharpCITY is a Johannesburg-based group of young
architects.
Since 1999, we have produced exhibitions on Johannesburg and its condition,
investigated urban culture and the fast-paced change of our city and its society.
Through participating in ideas competitions, lecturing, writing, walking through,
photographing and drawing this place of ours, we have listened to the voices
of people we met along the way. More about SharpCITY >>
As a result, we have become urban storytellers and have started
building an archive of the life and change of our city.
sharpCITY is fascinated by cities and in particular
by Johannesburg as South Africa's largest conurbation - how it continually
and expediently adapts according to the forces of politics, economics, fashion
and social change.
Recently, sharpCITY has broadened its scope of work to include other
South African cities.
Following on the success of the 'Metropolis Johannesburg'
exhibition held at the 5th Biennale of Architecture and Design in
São Paulo in 2003, sharpCITY was invited by the President of
the São Paulo Biennale to curate an exhibition on contemporary South
African architecture at the International Biennale of Architecture and Design
in 2005. More about the Biennale '05 >>
The result is an exhibition entitled 'Utopia. Nowhere.
Close.', which opened on 22 October 2005 in the Biennale Pavilion, Ibirapuera
Park, São Paulo, Brazil.
This exhibition is a 'country monograph' celebrating relevant works of architecture
and their relationship to the natural, urban, historic, political and social
landscapes of South Africa. It is the first exhibition show-casing contemporary
South African Architecture internationally and a step towards encouraging and
promoting meaningful practice within South Africa. View
Showroom >>
