Tirana Architecture Triennale: Virtually Present, Physically Invisible Vol I.
The Tirana Architecture Triennale Vol. 1 hosted three LINA Fellows as part of a trilogy that explored the theme "Virtually Present, Physically Invisible." The fellows' work, which spanned from March 2nd to April 14th, 2023, delved into the intersections of art and science, religion and faith, and living and the sense of neighboring. Their presentations incorporated lectures, workshops, and public installations, and engaged a diverse audience of students, professionals, institutions, organizations, and the local community.
Space Saloon Workshop and Exhibition
Space Saloon developed a workshop in collaboration with students and professors from BARLETI University and other Albanian architecture schools, architects from the Association of Albanian Architects, Destil Creative Hub, and experts from the Municipality of Tirana. The aim was to proactively reflect on the rapid transformation of the world. Students who actively participated were able to relate the workshop's theme more personally to the Albanian context. Within a short period, Albania transitioned from a state of total isolation and denial to immediate exposure, without a buffer, to new advancements that the rest of the world had been gradually adopting and exploring.
The workshop sparked reflection among students from diverse backgrounds, cities, and upbringings, fostering a dialogue that highlighted the challenges of rapid modernization. The format of the workshop underscored the urgent transition from analog to digital, emphasizing the difficulties of adapting to new technologies for generating and realizing ideas. This rapid shift also evoked a sense of nostalgia, as participants grappled with relinquishing valued objects that, while now outdated, held significant personal and cultural meaning.
The outcome was a series of short motion displays. Each student created a 3D model of a personally chosen “object of value” using software they learned during the week-long workshop. These digital models were displayed on a screen alongside a poster that illustrated the object's composition, anatomically broken down and presented in a tangible way. This juxtaposition of digital and analog representations fostered a deeper understanding of the interplay between these two realms, highlighting the digital's potential not as a replacement for the analog, but as a tool to enhance and advance it toward a sustainable future.
