Slideshow for the presentation"Architecture Criticism in the Age of Social Networks" given at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid during the Critic|All international conference. Read the full paper on Academia.edu: http://goo.gl/2tqirJ Abstract: In the Nineties, Ignasi de Solà-Morales described the relationship between critics and architects as one of sadomasochism, with the former controlling their anxiety for the recent collapse of grand narratives by exercising a compensatory aggressiveness! towards the latter, who resignedly offered their pro"ects to the lashes of their chastisers! with the hope that non-evident meaning wo#ld event#ally become manifest. $wo decades later, this relationship has been largely t#rned #pside-down, with many architects now dictating case-by-case the %eys for the interpretation of their pro"ects, and many critics red#cing their role to that of observers of the architect#ral mar%et and promoters of its top prod#cts. &nder the destabili'ing effects of postmodern relativism, ideological conflict has been replaced by pragmatic partnership, legitimately leading to a loss of confidence in criti(#e itself. )#t was conflict a better alternative* +ccording to common interpretations of the idea of criticism, it probably was. In its main acceptations  as a profession, as a set of social practices, or as a disciplinary disco#rse  the term is in fact #sed to indicate a set of intellect#al activities traditionally placed o#tside of /and possibly against0 the domain of architect#ral prod#ction, being what separates critics from architects precisely what can ens#re  in 1#igi Man'ione2s words  a margin of efficiency in critical disco#rse!. 3istancing, however, has its side effects. $he fact that +llison +rieff has recently compared reading architect#ral writings to having a tooth extracted is (#ite explicative of the way in which many critics wor% nowadays4 little concerned abo#t the #se that architects will do of their ideas, they write for no-one except for themselves, loc%ing critical disco#rse in a cage of a#tonomy from which no real infl#ence on architect#ral prod#ction can be exercised. 5riti(#e for criti(#e2s sa%e tragically reflects a retreat from reality that seems even more problematic if we consider how many opport#nities for elaborating alternative ways of comm#nication are offered today by new digital media. In this essay, I intend to spec#late on how internet and social networ%s can play an important part in the redefinition of the attit#de and tools of architect#re criticism, insisting on the val#e of sociability over isolation, s#ggesting an extension of the media thro#gh which criti(#e is performed, and proposing a third model of relationship  that of the sparring partner  as a possible way of overcoming the present moment of social empasse.

1. Architecture Criticism in the Age of Social Networks
preliminary thoughts on how web and social media can change critical practice for the better
DAVIDE TOMMASO FERRANDO | 13.06.2014 | CRITIC|ALL | FORMATS #2 [VISUAL CULTURE AND MEDIA] | ETSAM

2. FACT I
CRITIQUE IS A HEAVY WORD TO USE IN A BLOG
FACT II
CRITICISM MEANS WRITTEN CRITICISM
FACT III
CRITICS DON'T CRITICIZE,
ARCHITECTS DON'T STAND CRITICISM

3. I. THE POSSIBILITY OF A WEB CRITICISM

6. I
THE WEB PROVIDES AN ALTERNATIVE PLACE WHERE
TO DEVELOP ARCHITECTURE CRITICISM
II
THANKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA, CRITICS CAN NOW REACH
A MUCH WIDER PUBLIC
III
MAKING MONEY OUT OF WEB CRITICISM IS HARD
(BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE)

8. 1. AntiThesi
2. Architectural Theory
3. Archiwatch
4. Archphoto
5. Arquitectura-Política
6. Black-Mamba
7. btbwarchitecture
8. dpr-barcelona
9. Failed Architecture
10. Fulcrum
11. Gizmo
12. N+1
13. SOCKS
14. Spacelab
15. The Architecture of Analogy
16. The City as a Project
17. The Ship
18. Veredes
19. Wilfing Architettura
20. Zeroundicipiù
1.
2.
6./11. 17.
20.
4.
15.
9. 10./16.
13.
14.
5./7./8. 3.
12.
18.
19.

9. INDEPENDENT WEB EDITORIAL PROJECTS
ARE MORE FLEXIBLE IN TERMS OF:
ECONOMICS
(no printing or distribution needed)
DEADLINES
(no need to respect a rigid schedule)
and CONTENT DEFINITION
(little pressure from sponsors and friends)

10. II. FUCK IMAGE

11. ALL THAT ONCE WAS DIRECTLY LIVED HAS
BECOME MERE REPRESENTATION. […]
UNDERSTOOD IN ITS TOTALITY, THE SPECTACLE IS
BOTH THE OUTCOME AND THE GOAL OF THE
DOMINANT MODE OF PRODUCTION. […]
THE SPECTACLE IS CAPITAL ACCUMULATED TO THE
POINT WHERE IT BECOMES IMAGE.
Guy Debord

12. WHILE AESTHETICIZATION REMAINS A
BACKGROUND CULTURAL CONDITION THAT
PERMEATES […] THE WHOLE OF PRESENT SOCIETY,
ITS EFFECTS WILL BE ALL THE MORE MARKED WITHIN
A DISCIPLINE THAT OPERATES THROUGH THE
MEDIUM OF THE IMAGE.
ARCHITECTURE IS FULLY ENSNARED WITHIN THIS
CONDITION.
Neil Leach

20. THE WORD “ARCHITECTURE”
DOESN'T SIMPLY DEFINE A BODY OF THEORIES AND
WORKS, BUT A CULTURAL LANDSCAPE MADE OF
CONSTRUCTIONS, WRITINGS AND IMAGES, OF THEIR
MUTUAL RELATIONS AND OF THEIR PERSONAL AND
COLLECTIVE INTERPRETATIONS

21. POETRY CAN ONLY BE CRITICIZED BY POETRY. A
JUDGEMENT ON ART THAT IS NOT ITSELF ART HAS
[…] NO CIVIL RIGHTS IN THE REALM OF ART.
Friedrich Schlegel

22. CRITICISM SHOULD BE VIEWES IN TERMS OF TACTICS
AND INTENTIONS, NOT IN TERMS OF THE MEDIA
EMPLOYED.
Wayne Attoe

30. A MINOR KIND OF CRITICISM:
POTENTIALLY VIRAL
FASTLY PRODUCED
FASTLY CONSUMED
CLEARLY DEMISTIFYING
LOW COST
AESTHETICALLY CHARGED
SOCIAL
NO BUSINESS

32. III. THE CRITIC AS SPARRING PARTNER

35. THE STAR SYSTEM CREATES A PROMOTIONAL
SYSTEM THAT DEVELOPS ITSELF IN PARALLEL WITH
THE OBJECTIVE CRITERIA OF ART HISTORY, CREATING
A LEGEND IN WHICH THE AUTHOR IS INSEPARABLE
FROM ITS WORK. SUCH LEGEND IS DEEPLY
ARTIFICIAL, BECAUSE IT NORMALIZES JUDGMENT IN
ORDER TO BETTER SUBLIMATE IT.
Pierre Restany

38. davide@zeroundicipiu.it