XIII. (IM)MATERIAL – Architectural Memory in the Post-Digital Age XIII. (IM)MATERIAL – Architectural Memory in the Post-Digital Age

More than 40 years after the Les Immatériaux exhibition was staged at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the (IM)MATERIAL conference revisits its central theme: materiality. In the post-digital age, the digital has become so pervasive that it is difficult to identify it as a separate domain. Physical and digital experiences are now closely interwoven, and architectural archives consist of both analogue and digital material. The evolving relationship between the (im)material and architectural memory continues to raise urgent questions. With 24 contributions by researchers and practitioners from all over the world, we will explore the opportunities, risks and challenges that arise from this complex dynamic.

The 13th JBSC conference will conclude on Thursday 19 November with a keynote speech by Lara Lesmes and Fredrik Hellberg of the London-based design studio Space Popular. Working at the intersection of architecture, research, design and art, Space Popular explores the future of spatial experiences. The Collection Gallery, which Space Popular designed for the Nieuwe Instituut, will take centre stage in this keynote. This interactive, hybrid installation, which opened earlier this year, uses physical models and drawings to guide visitors on a digital journey of discovery through the architecture collection of the Nieuwe Instituut.

The Jaap Bakema Study Centre was established in 2013 as a special research partnership between TU Delft and the Nieuwe Instituut. The centre’s programme aims to intensify the exchanges between architectural design, archives, academia, and curatorial practices, while combining contemporary social issues with advanced historical and theoretical research. From the outset, the primary focus has been to raise the profile and promote the use of the National Collection for Dutch Architecture and Urban Planning, which is housed in the institute.