Learning Cities anew, not as Masters but as Amateurs (presentation)
Cristina Ampatzidou / Amateur Cities
Tuesday 25 April, 10h00-11h00 at Z33
Discussing the broader approach of Amateur Cities exemplified in a selection of recent projects and publications, this talk will reflect on the notion of amateurism as a promising attitude for knowledge creation. Amateurism is characterized by passion-driven exploration that provides a counterbalance to the highly specialized, professionalized and institutionalized forms of expertise. As an attitude, it brings back to light a sincere, subjective, personal motivation growing out of care for a topic, a place, or a community. In the context of the gradual domination of technocratic governance and the rise of mass internet cultures, it is worth considering amateurism as a creative force able to blur disciplinary boundaries, and point to new conceptions of knowledge, engagement and citizenship.