War Diaries: Design After the Destruction of Art and Architecture

The project of the co-edited volume War Diaries is developed in collaboration with Aleksandar Staničić and supported by the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts based in Chicago and their 2019 Grant for Publication.

In recent decades, the development of high-precision weaponry systems and the instant flow of information has redefined the notion of urban warfare as a local phenomenon with global effects in an increasingly interconnected world. The annihilation of Aleppo and the broadcasted demolitions of Palmyra demonstrate the accelerating politicization of the destruction process and the rising weaponization of architecture. War Diaries looks at complex postwar settings to illuminate design responses to urban warfare and violence against art and architecture. The focus is on world regions where planners, architects and artists are involved in concrete initiatives on the ground. The question at stake, is how professionals have conducted and accomplished investigations, renewal and redevelopment of attacked sites. Examining the role of these specialists, the book illuminates the approaches and attitudes towards destruction that designers have used to remediate the effects of violence against cities and cultural heritage.

For more information on the project and its duration see the official webpage.