Parity Talks VII: Upkeep

This year's theme is ‘Upkeep’ and will turn the focus back on our own institution, discussing the process of keeping something, such as a building, a conversation, an institute, in good condition. In the wake of the Engage DARCH Report which identified and highlighted the work of all of the grassroots self-organized initiatives within the school, this year we are supporting and enabling these groups to help us construct the culture of the school from within.

'Parity Talks VII: Upkeep' will take place this year in person and in the Architecture Department on the 7th & 8th March 2022. The Athena Lecture, co-hosted by the Wohnforum will kick things off on the evening of the 7th with a lecture by Gabu Heindl, which will be followed by a day of workshops, discussions and talks. Building on all of the conversations and inputs we have had over the last six years, this year will be about keeping the conversation alive with direct actions through live workshops throughout the day.

More detailed workshop descriptions:

A Hundred Thousand Billion Poems for Parity
HIB E15.2

After 6 years of Parity Talks, it’s time to take a look back at what has been produced. Instead of staying locked away in the archive, the work produced will be our resource. We will delve into the archives of past editions and read, rearrange and recompose the texts together. Basing ourselves on Raymond Queneau’s ‘Cent mille milliards de poèmes’, we will spend the morning reading, discussing and extracting 100 sentences from the collective memory of the Parity Talks. These 100 sentences will produce a hypertext that will give form to a hundred thousand billion poems that can be rearranged and recomposed almost infinitely. Our finished book of poems will be a witty, playful instrument to connect with editions past and present.

Own your Crits (second year workshop)
ONA Fokushalle

«The Crits», a format with a history. Intended as a moment of exchange and an opportunity to learn from the elders, this workshop provides the tools to navigate the complex dynamics of these discussions.
Psychologist and Zurich activist Sonja Wolfensberger from external pageEmpathie Stadt Zürichcall_made will introduce you to the psychological tools from constructive feedback culture and non-violent communication to design a conversation that meets your needs. We change our perspective and learn to not only care for the built environment and our work, but show the same empathy towards ourselves. You’ll be given the possibility to mourn past experiences, recharge and grow strength for future «Crits», so that you remain aware of your needs even in challenging situations.

Mapping / Power / Networks
HIB Open Space 2

Several people working together with continuity on a shared task aiming for a common goal is better known as: an organisation. The work actions distributed among individuals are thereby to be coordinated with one another and directed toward the common goal. It is these characteristics that distinguish companies, associations, institutions etc. as organizations from other gatherings of people, such as the queue at the bus stop.
With this workshop we put the ETH as an organisation in the center of our attention. We understand organisations as social entities and therefore want to understand the power relations at the school better. The fabric social entities are made of are relations between humans. In order to better understand the ETH’s social structure, we will analyse the communication, commands and hierarchies that form the institution. In particular we are interested in the power structures that order and stabilise institutions.

Lunch & Workshop – Musical Pic-nic : Listening to Identity Morphologies
HIL D Foyer Rote Kiosk

Identity is the link of all the aspects which make you feel one and singular and at the same time sharing similarities with particular groupS. Studies of identities morphologies workshop will be part of a music podcast channel released by ETH students. The idea is to recognize background identities in public space, to raise awareness on the importance to upkeep differences in the institution.
Through this listening workshop-session, we pic-nic together and explore music presenting different layers of our identities. Bring your lunch, share your music, tell us your experiences and contribute to the podcast!

Racism in Architecture
HIB Open Space 2

Urbanism and Gender Equality : exploratory walks of daily life –
HIB E15.3

The objective of the workshop is to learn about the methodological tools and resources for urban analysis through gender approach. We will do two exercises that will awaken the awareness of our surroundings and the spaces we use in our daily life. The second exercise will consist of an exploratory walk.
An exploratory walk is a field observation method done by a small group of individ-
uals. It is designed to identify both positive and negative aspects of the public spaces and its areas of concern, including gaps in infrastructure and amenities.
We will work in small groups in order to identify these aspects throughout an itinerary in our university campus. During the exploratory walk, the participants will make an intervention in these spaces by writing their proposals and solutions and then hanging them on the public space.

Sonic Imaginaries: (Combined Workshop with Mendrisio/Volta)
Location tbc

How does sonic information shape the perception of the self and the other, of intimacy, privacy, publicity, the environment?
How do sonic dimensions provide potential and tools to explore and investigate the diversity and heterogenous quality of urban geographies?
In regard to UPKEEP we think it is imperative to listen.
Sonic imaginaries will help us to develop techniques to approach conditions of space through sound. The objective of the workshop aims to provide methods for the description of spatial impressions and their character.
Together with sonic artist, radio producer and writer Lale Rodgarkia-Dara we will explore the sonic potential of space and radio as medium and tool for practices of community work through acoustic environments.

Querformat: Haus of otHER - Serving ArchiFem Realness
HIL A floor

During the late 1980’s in New York amidst the AIDS epidemic and Reagan politics, black, queer communities found refuge within their Houses. They established the Drag Ballroom Scene, an underground subculture which has inspired further generations in their attitude, walks and style.
Can we disrupt the cliché of the strict architect persona by performing a hyperbolic character of ourselves? Querformat invites you to experience the dance of voguing, drag and learn more about its history in the Underground space of the HIL. Appropriating it from its conventional use as a recycling and parking station, we aim to create new memories through our physical presence.
Loose attire recommended.
 

Sponsors

Case Studio Vogt
universum carrousel journey
trans magazin
Chair of Affective Architectures
Chair of the History of Art and Architecture
Studio Tom Emerson
Institute of Technology in Architecture (ITA)
Institute of Preservation and Construction History (IDB)
Institute of Design and Architecture (IEA)
Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture, D-ARCH (gta)
Department of Architecture, ETH Zurich (D-ARCH)
NCCR Digital Fabrication (dfab)