March 2010
After training to become an architect, Asim Waqif begins his research into the extent to which innovation, technology and sustainability in the field of architecture and urban planning are effectively delivering eco-sustainable improvements to our lives; and how much their dependence on new industrial processes, far beyond the control of the end user, are actually burdening our lives. The aim of his research is to highlight the degree of innovation within so-called traditional trades and working practices, those which require human qualities such as the ability to collaborate and experiment. He is also interested in finding out how suitable this type of work is for the people who carry out and if it satisfies their individual needs. The specific areas covered by his research include craftsmanship and temporary markets and the way in which they change the urban space.
Asim Waqif is selected to take part in the project The Global Art Programme, promoted by Artegiovane, in collaboration with different institutional partners and the participation of companies and private foundations. The programme’s aim is to create and encourage intercultural exchange between Italy and the twenty countries participating in the Milan Expo 2015. In Milan, the artist is a guest of Open Care and the association FARE, both responsible for setting up and running the RESIDENZAITALIA project, a network of residence programs in Italy designed to develop synergies between the various Italian residence programs. During his stay, Fare organizes for Waqif to visit the Cittadellarte, the Fondazione Pistoletto (Biella), qwatz (Rome) and the Fondazione Brodbeck (Catania).
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Image: ‘Consumption=Exhaustion’, poster, Asim Waqif exhibition, 2010.