Perhaps more than any other issue, the problem of action lies at the center of contemporary artistic production. In fact, when one studies the artistic production that is established worldwide, mainly from minimalist art, what one notices is how the problem of doing and acting comes to occupy the center of the concerns of some of the most important artists. contemporaries. This performative turn was not restricted, however, to the world of art. Although little studied, the concern with the theme of action (how to act in the field of architectural design, if you like, with another design performativity) was at the center of the reflection and practice of a select but very influential group of architects , with emphasis on the American architect Peter Eisenman.
In fact, since the 1960s, Eisenman has been reflecting on how an alternative model of action can materialize in the field of architecture, a model that eventually manages to overcome the limits that, according to him, constrain the humanist tradition of architecture. Eisenman’s case may be special, but it is not exclusive: as the works of some of the most intriguing contemporary designers demonstrate, especially Herzog & De Meuron, MVRDV, and Lacanton & Vasal, the problem of action remains challenging and central. This research group intends to investigate and deepen this topic, seeking to identify how the notion of performative is transported to the field of architecture and, thus, as a problem of action, central to the definition of contemporary art (that is, no longer modern) , unfolds and impacts some of the most important and yet enigmatic architectural practices of today.