THANK YOU! for participating in the 5. Alvar Aalto Researchers’ Network Seminar – Whose Modernism? 14.–15.6.2023! You and all other participants, live and virtual, around 500 registered participants from all over the world, 46 countries, made this event memorable.

The virtual event platform, edited live streams and prerecorded presentations are now available for three months. If you couldn’t attend the event, you are still able to register until 15.9.2023 and see all the recordings. Enjoy!

Please, use the same email address which you used during the seminar.
If you are now registering for the first time to see the recordings, please use valid email address.

Feedback has already been positive and enthusiastic. There were altogether around 500 registered participants from 46 countries. The two-days programme included 40+ presentations all around the world. Live event took place at the new Aalto2 Museum Centre at the City of Jyväskylä, Finland.

The 5. Alvar Aalto Researchers’ Network Seminar – Whose Modernism? brought the latest trends of international modernism and Alvar Aalto research to the Aalto2 Museum Centre in Jyväskylä on 14.–15.6.2023. Two days and three central themes. The keynote speaker for Wednesday’s Intent theme was the internationally renowned American architectural historian, critic and teacher, Joan Ockman. Authorship questions were debated on Thursday morning. The keynote speaker that day was Ruth Verde Zein, a respected Brazilian architect and professor of architecture and design from Sao Paolo. Thursday afternoon’s Legacy theme was led by international award-winning Finnish film director Klaus Härö. (Recording not available) The programme included around 40+ individual presentations from speakers from different parts of the world. Read more and the list of the 35 presentations titles here.

Register now for free to see the event recordings (in English) until 15.9.2023.

New WHOSE MODERNISM? book on seminar proceedings, ed. Aila Svenskberg, published by Alvar Aalto Foundation is now on sale at the Aalto2 Museum Centre Jyväskylä, and soon at shop.alvaraalto.fi All paper speakers 2023 with their articles are introduced at the new book, soon available also at the Alvar Aalto web shop.

The 5. Alvar Aalto Researchers’ Network Seminar – Whose Modernism? gave a voice to researchers, students and others interested in the mysteries of modernism. The presentations of Aalto research included, for instance, examinations of Aalto’s Säynätsalo Town Hall as a complete work of art, the Rautatalo Office Building, the industrial heritage of the Toppila pulp mill, as well as the connections to Aalto by architect Aarne Ervi, MoMA curator Elizabeth Mock and artist László Moholy-Nagy. Also, recent observations from architecture students about Alvar Aalto were surveyed. All the participants and their presentation titles are listed here

Whose modernism?

Much effort has been devoted to interrogating the origins, development, ambitions and products of modern architecture. This seminar aimed to identify and critically assess not just the factors but the actors involved: the individuals, institutions and other parties engaged in the creation, criticism, inhabitation, appropriation, and conservation of modern architecture.

Who sponsored, created, critiqued and narrated architectural modernism in the twentieth century, and who does now? Who should? To whom does modern architecture matter, and in whose lives does it play a role? Who holds responsibility for the future of modern architecture, and who do modern architectural heritage sites serve? Simply put: Who are the stakeholders, explicitly and implicitly, of modern architecture and its heritage?

The City of Jyväskylä was the main partner of the event. Other partners were Aalto University, Artek, the Cumulus Association, ICOMOS Finland, the Finnish Heritage Agency, and the Museum of Finnish Architecture.

Join us for the discussion!

The Alvar Aalto Researchers’ Network is an international collaboration that serves as a channel for discussion and cooperation between people doing research on Alvar Aalto. The network is managed by the Alvar Aalto Academy as part of the functions of the Alvar Aalto Foundation.

For the latest news:
See the facebook group of the network www.facebook.com/groups/alvaraaltoresearch/
Subscribe to the newsletter of the Alvar Aalto Foundation HERE
Follow the new Aalto2 Museum Centre web pages HERE