Birch trees of Ravenscraig – work on display in the Ravenscraig section of A Fragile Correspondence. Photo by Daniele Sambo.
After an Open Call asking artists and writers for a creative promotional response to the themes of A Fragile Correspondence, Harvey Dimond was commissioned to write the below creative response. This three-part text considers how colonialism has shaped the natural ecologies of Scotland, South Africa and Barbados, and considers their historic and contemporary resonances from a diasporic perspective. Read more
A close-up of the work by Raghnaid Sandilands in the Loch Ness section of A Fragile Correspondence. Photo by Alyesha Choudhury.
After an Open Call asking artists and writers for a creative promotional response to the themes of A Fragile Correspondence, Harper Walton was commissioned to write the below poem, which explores the geographically distinct areas of Highland, Island and Lowland as queer spaces through a transgender and non-binary lens. Read more
Photo credit: Robb Mcrae.
The Scotland + Venice | Found in Translation: Architecture, Land, Landscape, Language event on 14 October brought together presentations from the Austrian Pavilion, Orizzontale (from Rome, exhibiting within the Arsenale), Dualchas, A Fragile Correspondence, the Lithuanian Pavilion and Scottish author Cal Flyn. Read more
A Fragile Correspondence, work on display in the Orkney Section. Photo: Daniele Sambo
The frequency of an island sounds different from that of the mainland; and in conversation with the rhythms of the sky and sea, Orcadians live in conjunction with the water that they are surrounded by and in response to its temperament - floods, rain, and storms. Read more
Model (detail) of a potential future for Ravenscraig site. Photo by Daniele Sambo.
In response to A Fragile Correspondence, journalist Diyora Shadijanova visits the site of Ravenscraig and considers its past, present and potential future. Wikipedia describes Ravenscraig as a "village" and a "new town", but when I travel there one sunny afternoon, it's all roads and roundabouts breaking vast areas of greenery fenced off for future construction. Read more
A Fragile Correspondence, display in Loch Ness section. Photo: Daniele Sambo
In response to A Fragile Correspondence, Eilidh Akilade explores land ownership - imagined, formal, and otherwise. Centring around the Isle of Lewis, the piece looks to the island’s history, familial encounters with the natural landscape, and the Gaelic language. Read more
Maxwell Wilson formed part of the Professional Development Programme, during the summer. From Lhanbryde, Moray, he was a Stage 6 student at the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture in Aberdeen, graduating in July. Read more
A Fragile Correspondence – Work on display in Loch Ness section – photo by Daniele Sambo
LET’S START with a word: opportunity. Scotland’s chance to participate in the Venice Architecture Biennale, the biggest and most prestigious festival of architecture in the world. In the canal-side venue used by the Scotland + Venice Partnership since 2019, close to the Biennale’s main spaces, the show is ideally placed to catch visitors from all over the world. Read more
Citizens of Dundee working with Architects for What if…?/Scotland (Image by Lydia Smith)
Dundee did not appear on the original list of five geographical targets for the ‘What If…?/Scotland’ project. However, when the decision was taken to exhibit the results at the V&A Dundee (instead of the Venice Architecture Biennale, which had been the original, pre-covid, plan), the city was added as a sixth location. Read more
The group of citizens, designers and architects who worked together in Paisley to explore how we will live today as part of as part of What if…?/Scotland. Image Courtesy of 7N
When the ‘What If…’ project arrived in Paisley, many of the conversations between citizens and architects focussed on the theme of gathering. “It’s very much in the DNA of the place to assemble,” says Stuart McMillan, Regeneration and Place Manager, Economy and Development, with Renfrewshire Council. Read more
