An event open to everyone, spread across Mendrisio, Bellinzona and Lugano.
The program will animate the "Città Ticino", in line with the philosophy of the biennale svizzera del territorio.
Thursday 1 October opens with a conference at USI Accademia di architettura, Mendrisio. An evening of debate within the architecture and design community, dedicated to the values of political and civic responsibility within the discipline, addressing fundamental topics such as housing, reuse and citizen participation.
Friday 2 October, organised in collaboration with the Canton Ticino Department of Territory and the City of Bellinzona, opens with an urban walk through the places that best represent the city's transformation – from industrial fringes to public spaces, from rewilding areas to new residential and school hubs. The walk ends at the Bellinzona Public Baths, designed by architect Aurelio Galfetti with Flora Ruchat-Roncati and Ivo Trümpy in the late 1960s, creating an ideal connection with the afternoon session: the Symposium will in fact take place at the Institute of Research in Biomedicine (IRB), his final work.
This day offers a reflection on the vocation of a distinctive territory: a bridge between northern and southern Europe, situated between the Lombardy metropolis and the rest of Switzerland, marked by complex dynamics and fragile balances. Two round tables invite participants to interrogate these conditions, imagine the future vocation of the territory and identify the tools with which to act in the present.
In the evening, the projects in the park of Villa Saroli are officially inaugurated. The 10 selected installations selected through the Call for Action are unveiled and will remain on view to the public until 28 November.
Saturday 3 October, the Symposium moves to Lugano at the Italian Consulate General for a day dedicated to the theme of care, with the participation of international speakers. Lectures, case studies, dialogues and the presentations selected from the Call for Pecha Kucha alternate throughout the day, bringing national and international experiences and perspectives to bear on the theme.
The evening concludes at the park of Villa Saroli, where the installations are activated through performative moments, followed by an open convivial gathering in keeping with the participatory spirit that runs throughout the entire event.
Three intense days: an opportunity to experience how care for the territory also passes through the practices of encounter, exchange and the building of a collective dimension.
