Urban Concerns in Curatorial Assemblages: An Inquiry into deSingel’s Architecture Programme around the 1990s

Abstract

Este trabajo examina el programa de arquitectura de deSingel, operativo de 1985 a 2010 en Amberes, Bélgica, enfocándose en exposiciones y actividades culturales dirigidas a sensibilizar al público sobre cuestiones urbanas. Considerado una plataforma clave que contribuyó a moldear la cultura arquitectónica local antes del Instituto de Arquitectura Flamenco en 2001, deSingel abarcó una variedad de exposiciones (monografías, retrospectivas, grupales y temáticas), charlas y publicaciones. En la década de 1990, las discusiones sobre la interacción entre arquitectura, planificación urbana y entorno construido cobraron impulso, en medio de cambios institucionales en el discurso espacial y gobernanza pública. Al examinar el contenido y formatos de exposiciones seleccionadas y su alineación con desarrollos contextuales clave, esta exploración busca comprender las conexiones entre prácticas curatoriales y debates emergentes sobre cultura arquitectónica, condiciones urbanas y política espacial a medida que se desarrollaban en Flandes.

This paper examines deSingel’s architecture programme, which was operational from 1985 to 2010 in Antwerp, Belgium, with a focus on architecture exhibitions and cultural activities aimed at raising public awareness about urban issues. Considered a significant platform that contributed to shaping local architectural culture prior to the establishment of the Flemish Architecture Institute in 2001, deSingel’s programme encompassed a wide range of exhibitions (monographs, retrospectives, group and thematic shows), talks, and publications. Around the 1990s, discussions about the complex interplay between architecture, urban planning, and the built environment gained momentum amid institutional shifts in spatial discourse and public governance. By examining the thematic content and presentation formats of selected exhibitions and their alignment with key contextual developments, this exploration seeks to draw a better understanding of the connections between curatorial practices and emerging debates on architectural culture, urban conditions, and spatial policy as they unfolded in Flanders.