Building, A Connected World
What is the role of architecture in the age of climate change? How can architecture, together with the citizenry, respond to the climate crisis? Organized by the Gwangju Biennale Foundation and the Gwangju Metropolitan City, the 5th Gwangju Folly seeks the answer in the circular economy. Under the banner of Re:Folly, four Gwangju Follies will be completed by the fall of 2024. They are realized in a creative and experimental cycle of design, material development, construction, and public activities.
In the age of climate change, the way we make things, the way we talk about things must change. The process of transition neither happens in a short period of time nor does it mean all conventions must be abandoned. As much as the transition away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy, we need to find new ways to build our homes. At a variety of scales, institutes, companies, individuals around the world are working toward a circular world. Re:Folly is unique in that it not only explores sustainable local resources, it builds livable urban spaces for everyday use. Re:Folly shows that circular architecture is practical and beautiful.
In the Western vocabulary, folly means an “act of stupidity.” In Western architecture, it refers to an ornamental structure in a garden. Korea also has a pavilion tradition centered on the nujeong (樓亭), similar to but quite distinct from the Western folly. Like the West, nujeong is a small structure in the garden. While both the folly and the nujeong are part of a beautiful scenery, in contrast to the former as an object to be viewed, the essence of the latter lies in the activities. The nujeong was a semi-public space where a small community of friends and neighbors could gather for enjoyment, art, and serious debate. Whereas the folly in the Western tradition was a closed space for the aristocracy, the pavilion in Korean architecture was a communal space. Gwangju Folly is a nujeong for the city. In continuing the nujeong tradition, Re:Folly’s goal is not the display of objects but providing for the community. It is small but special, a space of participation. Architecture, like all forms of life, lives not in seclusion. The energy of a building doesn’t go away. It changes into other forms and persists in the world. Likewise for the human activity that architecture houses. The Re:Folly projects host public programs around climate change and the environment but they can always accommodate other activities. The new projects connect with the existing follies around the Asia Culture Center to create the Gwangju Folly Promenade. As small activity hubs, they become the connective tissue of the city. “No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main.” These are the words of the English writer John Donne selected for the opening of For Whom the Bell Tolls. The bell that conveys the emergence and receding of life rings for all of us. Just as all living things and objects are interconnected, no building is an island. In the time of climate change, Re:Folly affirms that we are a community woven as a web of food, shelter, and clothing.
Pai Hyungmin Artistic Director of 5th Gwangju Folly