CRITIC'S CHOICE
Archifringe 2017 at venues throughout Scotland.
www.architecturefringe.com
Opens tonight and runs until Sunday July 23.
I CAN'T be the only person who sighs in a middle-aged way when I hear a year that the Scottish Government has labelled each year, the "Year of…"
Occasionally though, ones world-weary expectations are confounded. Last year, Scotland played host to the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design which threw up some mighty fine offerings for anyone interested in how things are designed and built. The stuff of life, basically.
One such offering was Archifringe, which was so successful it has returned for a second year (mid-way through the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology as it happens).
Described as "an open platform for the arts in which people can explore architecture and what it means to them," Archifringe 2017 kicks off tonight and features over 230 contributors working on 50 projects across 37 different venues in Scotland.
This year's theme is Infra-Structure, and from the Highlands to the Borders it begs many questions relating to the current state of play for architecture. Featuring "curated" conversations, exhibitions, tea parties, performance, film screenings and workshops, I can confidently predict there is something for everyone in this mix.
Referring back to the mural issue discussed elsewhere here, there is even a 16-day programme to mark Glasgow-based "urban art specialists" Recoat's 10th anniversary at The Lighthouse in Glasgow. Its inspired tongue-in-cheek-title is This Will Ruin Everything.
Other highlights include a night of music, poetry, stories and song in celebration of Highland Bothy Culture at Abriachan Village Hall on the western shore of Loch Ness, and a "mindful" walk through Edinburgh's Old Town.
I also like the sound of Taxi, which will see screenings, at Civic House in Glasgow, of a series of lively filmed conversations of journeys made in taxis in Glasgow and Inverness featuring a moderator, a member of the public and a taxi driver.
An inspired and creative approach to examining our relationship with the built environment, build this into your summer schedule if you can.
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