Resisting Current Barbarisms

In times of polarisation, deep political divisions, environmental crisis, and declining trust in democracy, multiple forms of resistance against today’s “barbaric” political and economic forces are not only necessary but imperative (Stengers, 2015). We cannot sit back and watch the rise of far-right ideologies, wars destabilising regions, the spread of hoaxes and fake news, while billionaires manipulate social media platforms—promoting extreme dichotomies and eroding the very possibility of dialectical discussions, the cornerstone of democratic societies. Meanwhile, the far-right disguises itself in the rhetoric of anti-establishment resistance, co-opting the language of marginality to advance exclusionary agendas. How did we get here? How do we confront these challenges? Instead of waiting for catastrophe, we must actively shape new futures by resisting barbarism in everyday life, a concept that, as Isabelle Stengers (2015) argues, demands both opposition and the simultaneous imagination of other ways of living.

Architecture, as both a manifestation of societal values and a tool of power, can either reinforce dominant ideologies or serve as a form of resistance. However, the idea is not to simply oppose and resist destructive dominant systems but to compose, compose new alliances, practices and forms of being together.

This seminar invites you to engage in open debates, drawing from feminist theories, climate justice, hacker movements, activism, and care as resistance. Together, we will critically examine the relationships between power, identity, and the built environment; envision alternative futures; and develop strategies for collective organisation and resistance. The seminar is structured around fortnightly online guest lectures featuring speakers from different parts of the world and diverse backgrounds. Through curated readings and discussions, we will explore cultures of resistance in architecture, art, music, film, and literature offering a multidisciplinary framework for the future of architectural practice. Together, we will construct a space for dialogue, negotiation, and transformative action. To resist is to insist on the possibility of something different.

• 22.10.2025, 11:00–13:00, Introduction
• 03.11.2025, 13:00–16:00
• 17.11.2025, 13:00–16:00
• 08.12.2015, 13:00–17:00, Mid presentations
• 15.12.2025, 13:00–16:00
• 08.01.2026, 13:00–17:00, Mid presentations
• 19.01.2026, 13:00–16:00
• 03.02.2026, 11:00–14:00, Final presentations
• 23.02.2026, Final submissions