PROJECT WITH LIGHTS

San Bernardo

Being invited by the group of architects Felix, Juanjo and Jose Enrique, to participate in some urbanism conferences about the neighborhood of San Bernardo of Seville and since many urbanistic and political high managers (including our former she-Mayor) will assist to this event, my job had a fundamental interpretation: to summon and encourage the neighbors to participate actively in the decisions that were to be negotiated in such meeting. I fully trust in these people because the same human contingent, directed by different characters, had achieved 36 years ago, the change a whole General Plan which suggested a damaging piece of savagery like the one that was just about to he developed in the neighborhood.

I have been suffering the destructive effects of the crazy speculation for the last few years. Many neighbors give me the required energy (the minutes that each one would like to bring) to make work 14x2 fluorescent of 40W, illuminating — back packs carried by neighbors and friends of the neighborhood with the goal of constructing with beams of light, the different projects and claims expected to be discussed.

Four spatial configurations with dynamic character drew over the neighbor structure, turning it in a three-dimensional plan of the petitions, the following projects:

1.

Construction of 10 houses + public space in empty lot destined to be filled and being privatized in its totality.

2.

To inform over the excavations made by administration in several lots of the district, without knowledge of the neighbors, and of the numerous archaeological rest found.

3.

To rehabilitate the old factory of armament with houses of official protection to re-accommodate the families dispersed in the rest of the city, after being evacuated by ruin files.

4.

To power up and to equip pedestrian connection of the suburb, that is surrounded by roadways of high density traffic.

We had a great time during the 2 days the action lasted and a great expectation was created in the neighborhood which caused that the conferences were always crowded.

I will tell the end of the story, not very hopeful, some other time.

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EXECUTION UNIT

A community member protests political decisions by organizing a collaborative action to re-energize civic participation, highlight the strong community identity of the San Bernardo neighborhood, and specifically to encourage mass attendance at a public forum in the neighborhood. The forum includes various political and technical administration officials and excludes developers with a stake in urban speculation. A series of four improvement projects in the affected area accounts for both structural and social concerns, balancing the recovery of existing buildings and the integration of new structures and population into the neighborhood. This includes a public spectacle in the form of a playful act of street-seizure carried out by neighbors and friends, who wear the 14 backpacks created by the mother of one participant, Lelo, using plastic hooks, straps, plasticized cloth, and the necessary material for drawing with light: 2 m2  of papier-mâché board, 2 m2  of blue insulating foam, 14 lights for 2 - 40 watt fluorescent tubes (obtained for free at the Seville College of Architecture), 14 m of plastic cable rack, 14 plugs, 14 surface sockets, and 150 m of butilic hose 2.5 mm wide.

Subject > Community member

Collaborators > Neighborhood association of the Arrabal San Bernardo, students, residents of San Bernardo, Félix de la Iglesia, Antonio Sáseta, Juanjo Vázquez Avellaneda and several friends

Materials > Insulation, board, straps, 28 fluorescent tubes, 14 lamps, 14 meters of plastic cable rack, 14 plugs, 14 surface sockets, and 150 m of 2.5 mm-wide butilic hose

Description > 14 lights with fluorescent backpacks connected in a row and electrified by neighbors under contract

Approximate surface area > Variable between 20-150 meters.