Berlin-based architect Francis Kéré discusses past and upcoming projects, illustrating his innovative approach to design and building. Internationally renowned for his utopian "Opera Village", conceived and developed with German visual artist, theater and film director Christoph Schlingensief in rural Burkina Faso, Kéré has shown an unwavering commitment to designing public spaces that promote exchange and collaboration. Invited to take part in this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, he presented In Pursuit of a new Ouagadougou, an ambitious vision for the reconstruction of Burkina Faso’s Parliament House. Taking cues from the social and spatial dynamics of a typical West African village, Kéré presents a design that aims to shape a new perspective both literally and symbolically on the National Assembly. Following his talk, Kéré will be in conversation with Performa Associate Curator Charles Aubin to examine the role of performance in his projects and reveal how performance can be a radical tool to rethink architecture, its uses and aesthetics.
New York City, NY; NYC