The revolutionized world of New Babylon

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11606/1984-4506.risco.2022.160474

Keywords:

Victor “Constant” Nieuwenhuys, New Babylon, Situationist International

Abstract

This paper approaches Victor Nieuwenhuys’ (pseudonym "Constant") design for New Babylon (1956-1974), confronting its genesis and development with the technological and social revolution needed for its realization. We recover the cultural and political climate of the 1950 decade (the postwar, the foundation of Experimentele Groep, COBRA, MIBI, International Letrist, International Situationist, the influence of Henri Lefebvre). Then we focus on New Babylon, analyzing drawings, texts and maps. We inquire about the design and its sociopsychological implications related to the individuals’ behavior and to the collective domain, and the pertinence of the city pointed to human emancipation.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

ANDREOTTI, Líbero; COSTA, Xavier (eds.). Situacionistas: arte, política, urbanismo. Barcelona: Museo d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona/ACTAR, 1996.

ARGAN, Giulio Carlo. Arte moderna: do Iluminismo aos movimentos contemporâneos. 2ª ed. Publicado originalmente em 1988. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2006.

COBRA, 1948-1951. Catálogo de exposição. Paris: Association Française d'Action Artistique; Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, 1982.

COLQUHOUN, Alan. La arquitectura moderna: una historia desapasionada. Publicado originalmente em 2002. Barcelona: Gustavo Gili, 2005.

CONSTANT. Description de la zone jaune. Internationale Situationniste. Paris, n. 4, p. 23-26, jun. 1960. In: INTERNATIONALE SITUATIONNISTE. Paris: Arthème Fayard, 1997a, p. 131-134.

CONSTANT. New Babylon: outline of a culture. Escrito em 1960-65, publicado originalmente em 1974. In: WIGLEY, Mark. Constant’s New Babylon: the hyper-architecture of desire. Rotterdam: Witte de With, Center for Contemporary Art / 010 Publishers, 1998, p. 160-165.

CONSTANT. Une autre ville pour une autre vie. Internationale Situationniste. Paris, n. 3, p. 37-40, dez. 1959. In: INTERNATIONALE SITUATIONNISTE. Paris: Arthème Fayard, 1997b, p. 105-108.

DEBORD, Guy-Ernest. Rapport sur la construction des situations et sur les conditions de l'organisation et de l'action de la tendance situationniste internationale. In: INTERNATIONALE SITUATIONNISTE. Paris: Arthème Fayard, 1997, p. 689-701.

HEINTZ, John. New Babylon: a persistent provocation. In: MACEL, Otakar; VAN SCHAIK, Martin (eds.). Exit utopia: architectural provocations 1956-76. Munich: Prestel, 2005, p. 212-219.

HOME, Stewart. Assalto à cultura: utopia subversão guerrilha na (anti)arte do século XX. Publicado originalmente em 1988. 2ª ed. São Paulo: Conrad, 2005.

HUIZINGA, Johan. Homo ludens: o jogo como elemento da cultura. Publicado originalmente em 1938. 4ª ed. São Paulo: Perspectiva, 1993.

INTERNATIONALE SITUATIONNISTE. Définitions. Internationale Situationniste. Paris, n. 1, p. 13-14, jun. 1958. In: ______. Paris: Arthème Fayard, 1997.

JACQUES, Paola Berenstein (org.). Apologia da deriva: escritos situacionistas sobre a cidade/Internacional Situacionista. Rio de Janeiro: Casa da Palavra, 2003.

KOFMAN, Eleonore; LEBAS, Elizabeth. Recovery and reappropriation in Lefebvre and Constant. In: HUGHES, Jonathan; SADLER, Simon. Non-plan: essays on freedom, participation and change in modern architecture and urbanism. Oxford: Architectural Press, 2000, p. 80-89.

LEFEBVRE, Henri. Critique de la vie quotidienne. Publicado originalmente em 1947. 2ª ed. Paris: L'Arche, 1958.

MONTANER, Josep Maria. Depois do movimento moderno: arquitetura da segunda metade do século XX. Publicado originalmente em 1993. Barcelona: Gustavo Gili, 2001.

ROSS, Kristin; LEFEBVRE, Henri. Lefebvre on the Situationists: an interview. October. Cambridge, Mass., n. 97, p. 69-83, winter 1997.

SADLER, Simon. The situationist city. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, 1999.

VAN SCHAIK, Martin. Psychogeogram: an artist's utopia. In: MACEL, Otakar; VAN SCHAIK, Martin (eds.). Exit utopia: architectural provocations 1956-76. Munich: Prestel, 2005, p. 36-54; p. 104-124; p. 220-235.

WIGLEY, Mark. Constant’s New Babylon: the hyper-architecture of desire. Catálogo de exposição e textos. Rotterdam: Witte de With, Center for Contemporary Art / 010 Publishers, 1998.

Published

2022-07-14

Funding data

How to Cite

Kamimura, R. (2022). The revolutionized world of New Babylon. Risco - Journal of Architecture and Urbanism, 20, 93-112. https://doi.org/10.11606/1984-4506.risco.2022.160474