Air Autonomy Journeys
Jornadas de autonomía aérea
(With RoToR collective)
Perhaps the most interesting, undiscovered aspect of Barcelona's architecture is the rooftops of Ciutat Vella. For several months in 2004, we organised a series of expeditions open to anybody who wanted to participate, in order to explore these territories and map them.
To do this, we put out a call for points of access from specific buildings, which were granted by friends and acquaintances. From those access points, we made our way by jumping from one roof to another, checking to see the extent of the connected areas, while also mapping the areas exhaustively.
A year later, from 1 to 7 August 2004, we organised the first Aerial Autonomy Conference in Barcelona, which was held on various roofs of Ciutat Vella.
The idea was to drum up a popular movement in favour of reclaiming these spaces – which are currently managed on semi-private terms or through vertical ownership – and return them to citizens in general.
Issues such as free access and circulation, the suppression of architectural barriers by building bridges and demolishing separations, landscaping, the use of self-managed alternative energy, possible communication links and their use for purposes of leisure and play, as well as outdoor screenings and exhibitions - among other initiatives – emerged in the course of these meetings; all of them were held on these urban rooftops.
Encima de los callejones del barrio gótico de Barcelona se extiende otra capa geográfica, habitada pero no transitable, mucho mas vacía. Es una explanada insólita, desconocida, privada..
Con el colectivo Rotor, hicimos una serie de expediciones para explorar los tejados del centro histórico de Barcelona. Solicitamos acceso a residentes y cartografiamos posibles rutas transitables saltando de un tejado a otro por encima de vallas, muros y abismos.
Un año después, del 1 al 7 de agosto de 2004, organizamos las primeras Jornadas de Autonomía Aérea de Barcelona, que se celebraron en diversas azoteas de Ciutat Vella.
La idea era generar un movimiento popular a favor de recuperar estos espacios –que actualmente se gestionan de forma semiprivada o mediante propiedad vertical– y devolverlos a la ciudadanía en general.
Cuestiones como el libre acceso y la libre circulación, la supresión de barreras arquitectónicas mediante la construcción de puentes y la demolición de separaciones, el paisajismo, el uso de energías alternativas autogestionadas, las posibles vías de comunicación y su uso para fines lúdicos y de ocio, así como las proyecciones y exposiciones al aire libre –entre otras iniciativas– surgieron en el transcurso de estos encuentros, todos ellos celebrados en estas azoteas urbanas.
2004 · Organisation of roof explorations and AirAutonomy Journeys
Organised by Vahida Ramujkic, Laia Sadurní (RoToR) Charlenric Simon and Dionis Escorsa
Shown at:
2009 Slow-light cinema. Retrospective exhibition.
Dispari & Dispari projects. Reggio Emilia. Italy.
2006 What happens? Dispari&Dispari project. Reggio Emilia. Italy.
2004 Quorum. La Capella. Barcelona. Curated by Rosa Pera.
Matinée. Gallery ninapi. Ravenna. Italy.
Invisible links, electric cities. Island 6 Arts center. Shanghai. China.
Terme Raval. La capella. Barcelona. Curated by Rosa Pera.