The provinces is how we often refer to the territory outside of the urban centres and their associated sprawls. Though it is a hazy term and this leads us to the first and most important question: where do the provinces really begin, and where do they end?
In any case, Camenzind believes that, somewhere out there, beyond our familiar horizons, deep in the provinces, lies an enormous potential for discussion. Though the provinces are often characterized by notable architectural peculiarities, they tend to be denigrated as mere appendages to our cities, and both figuratively and literally they are pushed to the fringes. With the rise in the cost of petrol and the lack of profitability in modern farming, countryside communities are also in danger of bleeding out. In contrast to this, some other remote areas are being repopulated with the arrival of high-speed Internet connections allowing people to work from home. There is still a strong sense of idealism associated with rural-living, it seems that if there is a realistic possibility for self-sustained living in the future, it can only take place outside cities.
Are the provinces really deserted, or are they just changing, and how? Where does the myth of the idyllic retreat to the countryside end and where does the dystopia of rural decay start? To explore this theme we are collating voices; from architects and urbanists to politicians and sociologists but also anyone else who is familiar with these regions. Our perspective is not limited to Switzerland, but should touch on all the world’s rural areas.
Camenzind is especially interested in receiving contributions for three thematic fields:
1) “looking back” (i.e. people who used to live in the countryside coping with their past, their desires and phantasies and historic retrospectives),
2) “Building the province” (Reports from pioneers, dropouts and other lunatics),
3) “The future of the province” (visions, utopias, dystopias and straightforward analyses of current trends).
Abstracts and rough ideas should be sent in by February 1st, 2015. The final contributions are to be handed in by April 1st. Contributions can take on any form that fits into a printed magazine. Concerning text contributions, we would like to avoid scientific essays and instead look for texts written in a common language, not exceeding 2’500 words (there is no lower limit).
Ideally we are looking for as diverse a range of contributions as possible. Please contact
MjE2WV5WXzBTUWpdUVceU19d if you are interested.
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