2nd International Conference Interior Wor[l]ds
Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Call for Papers / Call for Posters
The transformations now affecting contemporary society require a critical review of the ground rules that apply to architecture and interior design as disciplines and to the articulations between the two, as they face the challenge of today’s new, more complex forms of social organization. A prominent part of that review is due the critical research activity being developed both on contemporary architecture and on historical one, but also by “Research by Design”, where the beginnings of a radical exercise in critical investigation on Architecture, starting from Interiors, are immediately apparent.

Both teaching and research are showing signs of a change of focus: their concern is not only for the Interior in its essential manifestation (“the room”, for instance) but they are interested also in Built Environment, Public spaces and in Dwelling, as the expressive surroundings of our collective and private lives, using a multi-disciplinary approach.

This consideration may provide material and stimulus for worthwhile reflection aimed at discovering needs, methods, aims and contents for this unique activity, discussing together about ideas, concepts and thoughts that (in our view) are contained in, and expressed by, certain key words bearing on the basic characteristics that mould and re-mould Interiors – what we refer to as “Interior Wor[l]ds”.

The premises laid down by IFW2010 is that in our globalised world it is possible to construct a single unified narrative – though one with different facets – or to describe/specify a complex constellation of Interiors by means of the words that characterise them.

 IFW2010 is looking for the “key words” for Interiors. What are they? How many are there? What are they about? What stories, people, projects, architectural spaces and shapes do they conjure up? Are they declarations of intent? Or cultural manifestos? Are they words from the past that have survived into the present, or words of the present in which the future is germinating? The Call is open to scholars, academics, lecturers, Ph.D. students and professionals.

Words tell stories, specify things; words also open onto other worlds and different ways of thinking. We want to understand, discuss, and compare notes, without having to classify: for words generate ideas, not ideas words. Not only that: as they are passed around, words spread ideas, stimulate other ideas to germinate, constantly reinventing themselves because they are never definitive, but free and open to change. Words also represent things, and things can be a means of making new stories, new ideas. As words transform themselves over time in any given society, country or economy we should look for the “key words” for Interiors: let us freeze-frame certain ideas, clarify them, assert them – but always remembering they belong in an open panorama of thought. Here, we suggest some words: but we’re waiting for others:

BODY – BOUNDARY – DETAIL – GESTURE HOSPITALIY – MATERIALITY – OBJECT – NATURE ROOM – SHAPE – THRESHOLD – TEMPORARINESS

You can submit a paper and/or a poster. Please choose only one word as your title. The word in the title may be single or plural. Contributions will be subject to double blind peer review.
Selected papers and posters will be published in the Conference Proceedings by www.lulu.com (an “on-demand” publisher, with ISBN; there will also be opportunities to buy a PDF-file version of the book). The authors of selected papers will be invited to present them at the IFW2010 Conference (5-6 October 2010).

 Posters will be shown at the INTERIOR WOR[L]DS Exhibition at the Politecnico di Milano from 27 September – 8 October 2010. After the conference, some contributors will be asked to edit again their papers with the purpose of publishing a selection of Interior Key-Words as an independent book.
All papers and posters submitted must conform to the style guidelines below, and must be written in English.

IMPORTANT DATES

15 FEB 2010: Last date for Abstracts submission
02 APR: Feedback on Abstracts
15 MAY: Last date for Posters submission (as PDF file)
01 JUN: Final date Papers submission and feedback on Posters
01 JUN: Feedback on Posters
01 JUN - 30 AUG: Registration period
15 JUN: Final date for Poster submission (as TIFF file)
10 SEP: Last date for Poster delivering (in original)
27 SEP – 8 OCT: POSTER EXHIBITION
5-6 OCT: IFW2010 CONFERENCE