Salvatore Veca per noi

Salvatore Veca (31 October 1943 - 7 October 2021) was not only a lecturer in many universities, including eventually Pavia, but also an active intellectual in many important civic structures. A brilliant pupil of Enzo Paci at the University of Milan, editor of the journal «aut aut», Veca chaired the Fondazione Feltrinelli and the Casa della Cultura in Milan and was the author of many books on philosophy based on the critical introduction of Anglo-Saxon analytical culture. The presentation in Italy of the work of John Rawls was important and marked the liveliest interest in the problem of the “just society”. He played a leading role in the debate on the possible developments of the Italian left after the fall of the Berlin Wall. For the Expo Laboratory he was responsible for drafting the “Milan Charter” on environmental sustainability.

Policronia arquitetônica

O artigo parte da discussão sobre modernidade e os diferentes modos de experiência do tempo a partir do marco da derrubada do Muro de Berlim, em 1989. Considerando esse contexto, que se intensifica com a virada do século XX para o XXI, elabora-se o conceito de policronia com base na percepção e definição do tempo exploradas por Hans U. Gumbrecht e Peter Pál Pelbart. A fim de investigar suas possíveis reverberações na arquitetura, analisa-se o projeto de reconversão do Mercado Municipal do Carandá (1980–1984) em Escola de Dança e Música (1999–2001; 2008–2011) em Braga, Portugal, pelo arquiteto Eduardo Souto de Moura. Palavras-chave: tempo; temporalidade; projeto; memória. Abstract This article draws on the discussion on modernity and different modes of experiencing time, specially since the fall of the Berlin Wall, in 1989. Considering this context, which is intensified in the turn to the 21st century, it intends to elaborate the concept of polychrony based on the perception and definition of time explored by Hans U. Gumbrecht and Peter Pál Pelbart. In order to investigate the possible reverberations of this concept in architecture, the text analises the reconversion project of theMercado Municipal do Carandá (1980–1984) into Escola de Dança e Música(1999–2001;2008–2011) in Braga, Portugal, by the architect Eduardo Souto de Moura. Keywords: time; temporality; project; memory.

Privatizations Spark Socialist Backlash: Evidence from East Germany’s Transformation

The fall of the Berlin Wall marks one of the largest transformations of the 20th century. At its core, the year 1990 brought two new systems to Eastern Europe: capitalism and democracy. Yet, to this day, Eastern Europeans show distinctly negative attitudes toward the Western world order, and democratic and market institutions across the region are far from perfect. What explains this unsuccessful transformation? This paper points to the rushed privatization of East European economies as one plausible driver of citizens’ discontent with capitalism and democracy. Using micro-level data from East Germany, we show that firm privatizations led to a marked resurgence of the successor of the former Socialist Unity Party as early as 1994. We argue that this effect is likely due to perceived injustice: Socialist voting thrived whenever firms were sold to Western elites, which local residents took as a sign that capitalism is not meritocratic.

Economic Freedom: The Top, the Bottom, and the Reality. I. 1997–2007

We recall the historically admitted prerequisites of Economic Freedom (EF). We have examined 908 data points for the Economic Freedom of the World (EFW) index and 1884 points for the Index of Economic Freedom (IEF); the studied periods are 2000–2006 and 1997–2007, respectively, thereby following the Berlin wall collapse, and including 11 September 2001. After discussing EFW index and IEF, in order to compare the indices, one needs to study their overlap in time and space. That leaves 138 countries to be examined over a period extending from 2000 to 2006, thus 2 sets of 862 data points. The data analysis pertains to the rank-size law technique. It is examined whether the distributions obey an exponential or a power law. A correlation with the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), an admittedly major determinant of EF, follows, distinguishing regional aspects, i.e., defining 6 continents. Semi-log plots show that the EFW-rank relationship is exponential for countries of high rank (≥20); overall the log–log plots point to a behaviour close to a power law. In contrast, for the IEF, the overall ranking has an exponential behaviour; but the log–log plots point to the existence of a transitional point between two different power laws, i.e., near rank 10. Moreover, log–log plots of the EFW index relationship to country GDP are characterised by a power law, with a rather stable exponent (γ≃0.674) as a function of time. In contrast, log–log plots of the IEF relationship with the country’s gross domestic product point to a downward evolutive power law as a function of time. Markedly the two studied indices provide different aspects of EF.

Metamodernism and Language: Pandemic Era Advertising

In cultural theory, metamodernism becomes a new cultural paradigm of the twenty-first century, epistemologically with (post) modernism, ontologically between (post) modernism, and historically beyond (post) modernism. It appears in the context of political changes following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the environment of digital progress, but also in periods of financial and ecological crises. Rather than simple “zeitgeist”, metamodernism as an arriving cultural paradigm is to be understood more as a “structure of feelings” or sentiment so pervasive that it becomes structural. Metamodernism is symbolically presented by the dual nature of God’s messenger Eros, who operates between the worlds of mortals and immortals. Another metaphor to illustrate metamodernism is a pendulum that constantly fluctuates between opposites such as modern hope and postmodern melancholy, empathy and apathy or enthusiasm and irony. This paper examines Italian advertisements during the largest contemporary health crisis, the SARS-CoV-2 virus outbreak. The semiotic textual analysis is performed on the audio-visual commercials of well known companies, such as Vodafone and Barilla. In addition to this, several print advertisements of a local company for funeral services Taffo are considered. Different metamodern characteristics are recognised in all examined texts. In already confirmed pandemic narratives (such as “the celebration of being Italian and patriotic solidarity”, “the juxtapositioning of the “inside” and the “outside”, and the “humanization of technology at the service of human affections and emotions''), now the metamodern characteristics, as a new structure of feeling that brings hope, continuous oscillations between contrasted polls and a certain quirkiness, are being identified. The most relevant morphosyntactic, lexical and semantic traits of the Italian language in pandemic advertising are being compared with the same language tools in postmodern Italian advertising. Finally, different stylistic and pragmatic, rhetorical and semiotic tools are being interpreted and analysed, defining more closely the unique characteristics of “metamodern” pandemic advertising.

Delirious New Zealand

<p>Delirious New Zealand proposes an alternative parliament, one that uses walls and boundaries to navigate authority and architecture. Walls are complex, they can range from a simple form of protection against elemental conditions, through to the reinforcement of borders between two countries with emphasis and polarising effect. Whilst variable, each instance is committed to division, and both are boundaries facilitated by architecture in the form of walls. Through design led research, three phases of investigation are developed across successive scales. Presented as 'Installing Boundaries', 'Housing Politics' and 'Political Infrastructure', each design outcome forms a larger body of work referred to as the design. Shape, Threshold, and Montage are the architectural principles that determine a given walls significance investigated at each scale. These three speculative propositions are not final outcomes for what an alternative parliament should be. Instead, Delirious New Zealand explores architectural boundaries as the material interface between those who govern and those governed. Koolhaas’s observations of the Berlin Wall – pre-demise – and his publication ‘Delirious New York’ highlight the significance of the authority of an architect, and habitational authority in the realisation and reality of architecture. The significance of a given boundary wall must then consider two things. One, the architectural elements that make up the wall itself. Two, the context within which a wall operates - be that social, political, economic etc. This thesis not only examines the design outcomes as being ‘about architecture’ in the form of the design, but also uses this as a platform to discuss ‘concepts of architecture’ more broadly. Accordingly, the concept of authority and architecture is discussed throughout the production and presentation of the three scales of investigation. A final critique in the form of a design discussion concludes this thesis, at which point the final act of installing boundaries is undertaken. ‘Delirious New Zealand’ considers parliament as a programmatic and contextual provocation for the design of architectural boundaries. In doing so, the segregated inhabitants are defined as the politicians and the people. Although political in programme, this thesis is not politically motivated nor intent on acting politically.</p>

Delirious New Zealand

<p>Delirious New Zealand proposes an alternative parliament, one that uses walls and boundaries to navigate authority and architecture. Walls are complex, they can range from a simple form of protection against elemental conditions, through to the reinforcement of borders between two countries with emphasis and polarising effect. Whilst variable, each instance is committed to division, and both are boundaries facilitated by architecture in the form of walls. Through design led research, three phases of investigation are developed across successive scales. Presented as 'Installing Boundaries', 'Housing Politics' and 'Political Infrastructure', each design outcome forms a larger body of work referred to as the design. Shape, Threshold, and Montage are the architectural principles that determine a given walls significance investigated at each scale. These three speculative propositions are not final outcomes for what an alternative parliament should be. Instead, Delirious New Zealand explores architectural boundaries as the material interface between those who govern and those governed. Koolhaas’s observations of the Berlin Wall – pre-demise – and his publication ‘Delirious New York’ highlight the significance of the authority of an architect, and habitational authority in the realisation and reality of architecture. The significance of a given boundary wall must then consider two things. One, the architectural elements that make up the wall itself. Two, the context within which a wall operates - be that social, political, economic etc. This thesis not only examines the design outcomes as being ‘about architecture’ in the form of the design, but also uses this as a platform to discuss ‘concepts of architecture’ more broadly. Accordingly, the concept of authority and architecture is discussed throughout the production and presentation of the three scales of investigation. A final critique in the form of a design discussion concludes this thesis, at which point the final act of installing boundaries is undertaken. ‘Delirious New Zealand’ considers parliament as a programmatic and contextual provocation for the design of architectural boundaries. In doing so, the segregated inhabitants are defined as the politicians and the people. Although political in programme, this thesis is not politically motivated nor intent on acting politically.</p>

Theoretical and conceptual approaches to the role of national and regional security on ensuring stability in Eastern Europe

Events in Europe in the last decades of the twentieth century (the fall of the Berlin Wall, the unification of Germany, the abolition of the Warsaw Pact, the collapse of the communist bloc and the USSR) led to a reconsideration of Eastern European security. After the abolition of the Warsaw Pact, the ,,balance of power" strategy in achieving security no longer works and, as such, the Eastern European security system must be rebuilt in accordance with the new realities. The tendencies regarding the reorganization of the European security system are diverse and contradictory, each actor (state, group of states, organization) wanting to occupy a more advantageous place in order to be able to promote and, if necessary, to defend its own interests. This article aims to determine the main definitions and theories of national and regional security in the context of Eastern European stability. Also the authors are willing to identify some problems and trends in the region and to list the main actors who are responsible for dealing with challenging issues and how to avoid them.