AA Visiting School Mittelmeerland: Tangier, Morocco

Workshop'a katılmak için son başvuru tarihi 26 Ağustos 2011.

Mittelmeerland will investigate the future of the Mediterranean and research six different cities over three years. In the second workshop we will study the dynamic territory of Tangier and the mutual dependencies of land and water.

The history of Tangier is very rich due to the historical presence of many civilisations and cultures. Today the city is undergoing rapid development and modernisation benefiting greatly from the new Tanger Med port. Tangier is turning from an urban wasteland into a great cultural and commercial gateway between Africa and Europe. The project is part of the economic policy orienting Morocco towards exports, with particular emphasis on the free trade agreement with the European Union to be implemented by 2012. Tanger Med is located about 40km from old Tangier. Both ports are linked by a new highway along the coast.

Tanger Med’s administrative centre was designed by Jean Nouvel. Planned on an empty site, it is the largest port on the Mediterranean and went into service in 2007. The concept is to use the port’s location – just 14km from Spain – to attract shipping traffic between east and west, passing through the Strait of Gibraltar. The success of the port has attracted many investors: a new city is starting to develop behind the port. How is the rapid growth of global trade affecting Mediterranean ports? What can Tangier do to turn the Mediterranean from one of the world’s largest hotspots into a vibrant ecospot?

We will work on five different areas along the coastline analysing existing conditions and future projections, playfully utilising small-scale phenomena, translating found conditions into large-scale urban interven- tions and envisioning future changes. We will produce architectural por- traits, urban biographies, video narratives and imaginative axonometric collages, which will culminate in a publication of the workshop’s research. During the workshop a two-day symposium will be held on 9 and 10 September, to examine ‘social aspects’ of the Mediterranean Sea ‘territory’. This ‘territory’ is subject to specific dynamics and experiences, which have resulted in many artistic reflections. Speakers will include local experts, international artists and urban researchers.

Applications
The deadline for applications is 5 August. A late deadline of 26 August is also in effect, but this will incur a £50 surcharge.

Fees
The AA Visiting School requires a fee of £650 per participant, which includes a £50 Visiting Student Membership. Fees do not include flights or accommodation.

Accommodation
You can book accommodation yourself or book the organised Accommodation in Hotel Chellah. It is £200 for 12 nights from Sunday 4 September to Friday 16 September.

Scholarships
Partial scholarships are available for extraordinary students (£200 discount on participation costs). To apply, please send a PDF (maximum three pages of A4) including a short CV and photo, contact details, a supporting statement and samples of your work by 4.00pm, 05 August 2011 to mittelmeerland@gmail.com. We have received many applications for partial scholarships, but will still consider exceptional applications untill mid August.

Speakers and Visiting Critics
Yto Barrada (Artist and Cofounder Cinematheque de Tanger), Shany Barrath (Sha-Ga,Amsterdam), Nawfal Bakhat (Amush, Tanger), Ruedi Baur (Civic-City, Zurich), Sumita Sinha (London Metropolitan University), John Palmesino and Ann- Sofi Ronskörg (Territorial Agency, London), Takako Tajima and Aziza Chaouni (Bureau East, Fez and Los Angeles), Cristian Suau (Ecofabrica, Cardiff), Christopher Pierce (AA, London), Nikolina Muza (Zagreb) and further visiting guests plus AA tutors, among others.