"Love Has Never Been..."

“I am what time, circumstance, and history have made of me. But I am also, much more than that, what I choose to make of what I have made.” – James Baldwin

Freedom is a continuous goal, a pursuit of happiness and a struggle for autonomy. It can be an escape from oppression or the power to choose within constraints. While freedom and happiness are often linked, one does not guarantee the other. The level of your freedom is a constant negotiation between external forces and internal struggles. Surrendering to these forces dooms the person before they physically die. Echoing Baldwin, perhaps how we respond to this, is indeed the only real freedom we have…

‍

To understand our nature, there is never a singular lens for observing our behaviors. Good and evil are always within, they either co-exist or one dominates the other with varying degrees. There is no set formula. As we are composite beings of different layers, the skin we adorn for the world is only a surface of our layered multiplicities. In such a world, each person’s response to their circumstances can shape their identity, whether they choose to be noble, mediocre, or monstrous. One must hence, not only fear the evilness of the world but also the potential evil within themselves. An evilness which is latent, ever present, yet authentic.

James Baldwin, an African American queer writer and civil rights activist, had his own acutely real and actualized relationship to his pursuit for a freedom during the 1960s in America. Seeking refuge in Turkey for ten years - despite the struggles he faced there - he produced some of his most significant work. When in turkey, he wrote about America. He had to be away from home to write about home. He believed our circumstances shape our identities, yet we are also more than what those circumstances define us to be. On his centenary, The Architectural Association Interprofessional Studio (AAIS) heeds the author’s take on freedom, the joys and hazards of love, its intimacy, its social consciousness and its communitarian empathy.

‍

The Architecture Association Interprofessional Studio (AAIS) brings together an ensemble of artists who advocate for the creation of proactive intellectual work-net and social-capitals to positively impact the world.

‍

Previously held at Hope Alkazar in Istanbul, our interdisciplinary festival brought together audiences for a powerful two-day performance exploring the human desire for freedom through Baldwin’s voice. Now, we bring this conversation to London, expanding and evolving it through new collaborations and sensorial experiences. Join us in a performative interdisciplinary exposition highlighting the power of movement, technology and craftsmanship.

‍