SMARTER CITY 3.0 – PHOENIX OR APOCALYPSE?

Two years after two devastating earthquakes in Zagreb and Sisak-Moslavina County, it seems that nothing has been systematically done in terms of the reconstruction of those areas.

The exhibition and program “Smarter city 3.0 – Phoenix or Apocalypse?” stimulate the discussion about what should, could, can, and should be done to improve these cities and towns, to place the population in decent homes, and to return the institutions to their original or advanced functions.

It can be said that “how to think about community and solidarity at the moment after a natural disaster” is the basic question, theme, and context of this year’s program, “Smarter City: Phoenix or Apocalypse?” by Shadow Casters.

On the example of Skopje, Europe’s Brazilia, which Ernest Weissman, Kenzo Tange, Radovan Mišćević and Fedor Wenzler, together with the help of politicians and creators from all over the world, gave to the capital of Macedonia, we think of a world after a cataclysm, earthquake, flood, hurricane or tsunami with the help of experts from Chile, Canada, Morocco, United States of America, Nepal, Macedonia, Italy, and Croatia.

Online and live lectures, film screenings of archival works, and round tables accompany this exhibition in Pogon, which is dedicated to reconstructing Skopje.

The exhibition evokes, exposing photographs, films, and sound, both the moment of the natural cataclysm and the reconstruction process of Skopje, with a tribute to the artist, activist, performer, and educator Joseph Beuys.

During the program (25.11.-14.12), which, in addition to Pogon and online, also takes the Zagreb Cultural Information Center KIC in Zagreb as the scene, Veljko Bulajić’s legendary documentary film “Skopje 63” produced by Vardar Film and Jadran Film will be shown several times, thanks to help from the Croatian and Macedonian Cinematheque. Recently, this year, this film was re-screened at the Cannes festival in a special screening.

Program:
November 25 at 18:00 – Opening of the “Skopje” exhibition
– Pogon Jedinstvo, Trnjanska struga 34, Zagreb, https://www.pogon.hr/
– Entrance is free
Every day a film program will be shown, provided by the Cinematheque of Macedonia, about the Skopje earthquake and the reconstruction process of Skopje will be shown.

The exhibition is open until 03.12.2022 on the following dates:
* Saturday, November 26, 2022 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m
* Sunday, 27.11.2022 – closed
* Monday 28.11. 2022 – Friday 02.12.2022 – 16 – 20 h
* Saturday, 03.12.2022 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m

November 26 at 2:45 p.m. – lecture series “Can we be in solidarity today?”/”All That Solidarity?
Streamed on Shadow Casters Facebook and Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86259500568
Biographies of panelists: HERE

2.45 pm (CET) – Boris Bakal (Croatia) Introduction
3:00 – 4:00 pm (CET) – prof. arch. Kai Weise (Nepal) – “Post-earthquake rehabilitation of Kathmandu”, lecture and Q&A

4:00 – 5:00 pm (CET) – Prof. Arch. Aziza Chaouni (Morocco/Canada) – “Reconstruction of Agadir in the light of the Cold War”,
lecture and Q&A

5:00 – 6:00 pm (CET) – prof. arch. Stephen J. Kelley (USA) – “New Orleans – The Inevitable City on the Impossible Site Lives on”,
lecture and Q&A
6:00-6.30 pm (CET) – Closing remarks of participants/ Wrap-up of session

02 December – lectures “Skopje – Reconstruction of Solidarity” / Reconstruction of Solidarity
KIC – Cultural Information Center of Zagreb, Preradovićeva 5, Zagreb
Biographies of panelists: HERE

11:00 – 11:15 am – Boris Bakal (Croatia) Introduction
11:15 am – 12:30 pm – architect Blagoja Bajkovski (N. Macedonia) and architect Ana
Rafailovska (N. Macedonia) “Skopje: Solidarity 2.0”, lecture and Q&A
12:30 – 1:10 pm – architect Tamara Bjažić (Croatia) – “About typical settlements in Skopje
after the earthquake”, lecture and Q&A
1:10 am – 2:10 pm – architect Marko Icev (N. Macedonia) – “Architecture After Disaster and
The Skopje 1963”, lecture and Q&A
2:10 – 2:30 Wrap-up of session

02 December – 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM
KIC – Cultural Information Center of Zagreb, Preradovićeva 5, Zagreb

4:00 p.m. a conversation between director Veljko Bulajić and director/producer/screenwriter
Hrvoje Hribar, director of the Zagreb-KIC Cultural Information Center, in whose rooms, after
the conversation, Bulajić’s cult film “Skopje ’63” will be shown at 5:00 p.m.
– Entrance is free –

December 3 – 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. panel “Can we be in solidarity today?”/ “All That Solidarity?”
KIC – Cultural Information Center of Zagreb, Preradovićeva 5, Zagreb
Biographies of panelists: HERE

The guests of this round table will discuss why the systematic reconstruction of Zagreb and Sisak-Moslavina County has not yet been started after the earthquake and what can still be done in this regard.

December 12 – lectures “Can we be in solidarity today?”
Streamed on Shadow Casters Facebook and Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86259500568

2:45 pm (CET)- Boris Bakal (Croatia) Introduction – MOVED TO 4.45 PM (CET) 
3:00 – 4:00 pm (CET) – prof. architect Zeynep Gul Unal (Turkey), “Response in 0 Seconds”, lecture and Q&A – CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS
6:00 – 7:00 pm (CET) – Prof. Arch. Horatio Torrent (Chile), “Earthquake in Valparaiso in 1939”, lecture and Q&A – NEW TIME!!
6:00 – 7:00 pm – prof. architect Graham Owen (Canada), “Katrina Now”, lecture and Q&A
7:00 – 8:00 pm – prof. Arch Ljubomir Miščević (Croatia) – “How to build before and after the disaster?”
8:00 – 8:30 pm – Closing remarks of participants/ Wrap-up of session

Concept of the program: Boris Bakal
Other authors and collaborators: Sandra Uskoković, Stanko Juzbašić, Hrvoje Podobnik Gero, Mare Šuljak, Pavle Perković
Lectures selected by: Sandra Uskoković & Boris Bakal
Photos on exhibition: Blagoja Bajkovski, Hrvoje Podobnik Gero, Kokos produkcija (Akto 2021)
Design: Mare Šuljak
Many Thanks to: Ivan Marušić Klif, Tomislav Medak, Barbara Blasin, Reto Centar
Project manager Lana Matešić
Production and organization: Lana Matešić and Zvonimir Bešlić
Partners: Pogon, KIC Zagreb, FRU/AKTO (North Macedonia), Macedonian Film Archive, Croatian Film Archive
Production: Shadow Casters (Zagreb, Croatia)

The program is supported by: the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia and by Zagreb City Office for Culture, Intercity, and International Cooperation.