Urban shape
Exhibition in the Museum of Design and Applied Art
23/03/19 - 06/10/19
Cities are perhaps humankind's greatest creation. They evolve out of the constant interplay of people and their environment. They consist of both visible elements, such as buildings and the urban landscape, and those that cannot be seen, such as history, human interactions and the flow of information.
Although maps do not provide the true picture of a city, they do give an indication of its character. Exhibiting maps of European capitals and the largest cities in the United States, side by side, offers a perspective that cannot be found on Google Maps, in books, or even through travel.
The architect Paolo Gianfrancesco invites us to this celebration of the city. Using data from the open-source project Open Street Map, coding allows him to include certain kinds of information, while excluding others. His objective is to capture the essence of the city landscape through the flow of information.
DINNERS
Over the course of the exhibition six cities will be highlighted by dinners infused with storytelling. A fascinating selection of Reykjavík local inhabitants with foreign roots will be invited to share their stories, and those of their city of origin, through food, music and more.
TALKS
During the exhibition period there will be a series of talks on the art of travelling, where specially invited globetrotters will be sharing stories of their lifestyles and epic journeys.