co+labo Radović @ Keio University

co+labo radović   co+labo Anatomy of Islands design at exhibitions in Zagreb and Graz     

As regularly reported on this blog, since 2012 co+laboradović is participates in the top quality symposia and workshops Anatomy of Islands, which are regularly held at the Croatian island of Vis. The Anatomy, initiated by the well-known urbanist Boško Budisavljević who lives at the island, is co-organised and managed by a number of motivated individuals and enthusiasts, local groups and local government – all joined by strong desire to imagine and create better, place- and culture-specific futures at, and for their island.

Each September, through presentations and robust discussions between the locals, visiting academics, professionals and good-willing visitors, Anatomy of Islands symposia provide venue for sharing and advancing diverse knowledges about opportunities for alternative development and production of space at this and other, comparable islands.

Inspired by the symposia, the Anatomy workshops burst with creativity, driven by fine mix of international students and academics from both the near-by and far-away universities – from the Universities of Split, Zagreb and Ljubljana, via Graz and Paris, to Tokyo. Over the last three years, co+labo also contributed to that mix by inviting to Vis a number of our friends and close collaborators – Davisi Boontharm (Keio and Sophia University, Tokyo), Kengo Kuma and his laboratory from the University of Tokyo (which, along co+labo students, participated in all three Anatomy of Islands conducted so far), Kazuyo Sejima (Keio and SANAA), Jose Puppim de Oliveira (United Nations University, Tokyo), David Sim (Gehl Architects, Copenhagen), Luisa Bravo and Simone Garagnani (Universities of Bologna and Florence).

These workshops advance design-research practice by inviting brave, explorative and, at the same time, concrete, realistic thinking and action that can challenge development patterns which destroy environmentally and culturally precious, fragile environments worldwide.Three generations of co+labo have contributed to those efforts so far, and we stay committed to this valuable project. 

Fine design work produced within the Anatomy of Islands workshops in the period 2012-14 has generated an interesting exhibition. After the inaugural presentation in Zagreb, Croatia in February 2015, the Anatomy of the Island exhibition is now in Graz, Austria. We hope to host it in Tokyo, soon.