Studio L A to conduct the citizen consultation workshops in Prishtina

Coinciding with the urban vision executed by CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati and securing a bottom-up, radically local methodology, Manifesta decided, after the success of a similar democratic structure for Manifesta 13 Marseille, to develop citizen consultation workshops. Built together with various communities in Prishtina, these workshops will be led by Studio L A, co-founded by the Bosnian-Dutch architect and co-founder of Studio L A, Arna Mačkić and the Dutch architect Lorien Beijaert.

These upcoming workshops are focused on the way culture(s) are understood and practiced by different artistic and citizen communities. In addition to this, the workshops will identify the agenda of Prishtina inhabitants in relation to the urban development, socio-cultural and educational policies of their city.

Dialogue is the foundation of an inclusive society. An equal, democratic society benefits from encounters between different people with different visions of the world. It is key that a diverse range of citizens interact, in a familiar environment, with each other in order to avoid that citizens are excluded within urban development projects. We believe that the design of a physical space has an influence on this. Designing and organising space for conversation is therefore part of our practice. We are honoured, especially due to our connection with the Balkans, to contribute to the development of the citizen consultation workshops in Prishtina together with Manifesta 14.
Arna Mačkić and Lorien Beijaert, co-founders Studio L A