Writing on the wall: Criticism of the city in the 21st century
A Tech Bro Fever Dream’ – this is the provocative title given to his review of the latest Venice Architecture Biennale by Phineas Harper, who works in journalism, curating and urban planning. He is one of the most penetrating voices in contemporary architectural criticism – but Harper's texts go far beyond the boundaries of this discipline. They open up social debates on the housing crisis, biodiversity loss, and why men should wear skirts more often. He is a regular contributor to media such as The Guardian and Dezeen and is behind the New Architecture Writers programme. In his lecture Writing on the wall, Harper will share his views and concerns about the role of criticism in contemporary architecture and urban planning. What is the point of critical writing about the city today? Can it really change its form – or has that always been a myth? And what role does it play at a time when the already fragile media scene is being shaken by the advent of artificial intelligence?