Report: 15th International DOCOMOMO Conference 2018

The biennial Docomomo Conference, under the theme “Metamorphosis. The Continuity of Change”, took place at the Cankarjev Dom (architect E. Ravnikar, 1977-1980), in Ljubljana, Slovenia, between the 28th and the 31st of August, 2018.

Several Belgians participated in the congress:
There was a presentation by Anica Dragutinovic, Utah Pottgiesser and Els De Vos about “(Un-)Sustainability of the Concrete Mega-Blocks in New Belgrade: Potentials of Prefabricated Modern Structures for Transformation”.
And several poster presentations:
– “Modern Residential Architecture in Aleppo City. Transformations and Potentials for the Reconstruction of Old-Aleppo.” by Christine Kousa (Syria, Belgium), Uta Pottgiesser (Germany, Belgium), Els De Vos (Belgium)
– “Esma Pavilion by Roger Bastin and Jacques Dupuis. A Modern Heritage to Preserve in Belgium” by Chiara Fucelli, Michel Prégardien, Laurent Debailleux (Belgium)
– “Change and Continuity – How to Trace Jul de Roover’s Interior in His Transforming Modernist Oeuvre?” by Selin Geerinckx, Els De Vos (Belgium)
– “A Pursue for the Destiny of the Arcade in the Twentieth Century: The Cases of Two Modernist Galleries in Brussels” by Tine Poot, Els De Vos, Maarten Van Acker (Belgiu

In total 10 Belgians participated: Marc Dubois, Zsuzsanna Böröcz, Karina Van Herck, Sander Van Duppen, Brecht Van Duppen, Jo Braeken, Anica Dragutinovic, Els De Vos, Julie Verhelst and Chiara Fucelli.

The congress offered ample opportunity to collaborate with international members of the DOCOMOMO ISC on Interior Design on a plan for the future. The general counsel unanimously approved the expansion of the board. Besides the co-chairs Zsuzsanna Böröcz and Bárbara Coutinho the Isc-ID now also has a secretary, the Danish architect and doctoral student Eva Storgaard attached to the University of Antwerp.

The following congress will take place in Tokyo (Japan), between 15 and 18 September 2020, and focus on the theme of “Resilient Inheritability: Sharing Values of Global Modernity”.

The first Conference day finished with the presentation of the International Student Workshop and the Opening of five exhibitions at the Cankarjev Dom:
– 15 IDC´s Poster Exhibition
– The Photographer Janez Kališnik – Space In-Between”, curated by Nataša Koselj
– Aldo van Eyck´s Amsterdam Playgrounds
– Discussion in Plecnik´s Villa: Alexander Tzonis, Liane Lefaivre, Damjan Prelovšek Milan Mihelic´s architecture and its renovation
– Docomomo Slovenia_100 and Edvard Ravnikar´s presentation of the Revolution Square

The 15th International Docomomo Conference 2018 was closed with a roundtable celebrating the 30 years of Docomomo and a tribute to the founders of Docomomo, Hubert-Jan Henket and Wessel de Jonge, for the 30th anniversary of Docomomo, followed by a party held at The Skyscraper.

More info:
Conference Website
Facebook Photographic Report
Detailed brochure with the Programe

Download PDF: index from the proceedings.