In Greek language Banquet is the synonym of Symposium, a happy coincidence. It is also the title for one of the texts Plato entitled Dialogues. When the Greek physician Eryximachus invites the diners to take turn in making short speeches to pay tribute to the poet Agathon, the subject of love is chosen on the grounds that love (Eros) is often left out of philosophical discussions.

The focal point of the project is a table with chairs and a lamp, being prototypes of the new interior facilities designed for the restaurant of the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid by Herreros Arquitectos. The huge object, with its high and broad profile, allows for 12 “diners” to share the dialogues that will convert the exhibition into a symposium.

The Dialogues: the chosen topics are on matters that interest both Herreros Arquitectos and ROM and are of concerns to a general public. They are organized with believe in the power of conversation and negotiation in the construction of a contemporary conscience and sensitivity

Thursday September 8th at 19:00: Conversation on art + architecture:

Defining, designing, building and activating spaces are the creative base for architecture. Ultimately these are also concerns which affect contemporary art practices in general. The method of research in the physical environment and in the human nature and psychology is another. Art and Architecture from their different positions, base their work upon the understanding of the society and cultural codes for delivering concepts and new ideas.

We acknowledge the independency and eligibility of each profession but also question: Are art and architecture just two parallel lines? If not, how and where do they meet? Are there crossing points? Is there something more than gravity fields,a mutual attraction that forms common environments for understanding, describing and transforming the world? Do they fuel, intensify or fertilize each other? Or is it just the sharing of clients and concepts that is inspiring them to collaborate on mutual interests? Is there an art + architecture? Conceptually or even physically?

In the panel:

Joseph Grima Editor in chief of Domus magazine and ex-director of StoreFront gallery in NYC
Gunnar B. Kvaran Director Astrup Fearnley Museum of contemporary art
Dagur Eggertsson Rintala & Eggertsson Architects, Oslo
Knut Eirik Dahl Architect and Professor at the Institute of Urbanism and Landscape at AHO in Oslo
Marit Justine Haugen Haugen/Zohar Architects, Oslo
Among others and the public.

Thursday September 22nd at 19:00 Conversation on the new museums

A new generation of museums has emerged within the transformation processes of the contemporary city: Amplifying their traditional role of solely being ‘containers of art’ and evolving as institutions with hybrid uses and complex programming that affect and interact with many parts of the city and society. Playing an important role in the context of social, educational and economic developments; being important agents in the renewal of urban culture and powerful tools for the construction of contemporary identities; and even so, instruments of communication themselves. The momentous Centre Pompidou in Paris or the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao are good examples of this phenomenon that has transformed some museums into key protagonists within the nature of certain cities. Oslo is currently planning the construction of several institutions with a vocation to be more than conventional museums: A new National Museum at Vestbanen, a new Astrup Fearnly Museum at Tjuvholmen, a new Munch & Stenersen Museum at Bjørvika and a newly established Kunsthall Oslo in a brand new district of the city. Herreros Arquitectos is inviting to a conversation on two major topics about present and future museums around the world:
1- The architectural form and the typology of the buildings and their spatial and logistical design. How does the “shell” affect the “content” or the curatorial processes inside these new museums?
2- The expanding role and functions of the museums in the city and society, where the museum becomes the venue not only for exposing art and attending events but a place for education, discovering of the self and the others, understanding of the past, the contemporary and the future of ideas, cultures and the society.

In the panel:

Audun Eckoff Director of National Museum of art, architecture and design, Oslo
Moritz Kung Curator, Barcelona
Klaus Schuwerk & Jan Kleihues Architects, Winners of the competition for the new National Museum
Among others and the public.

Thursday October 6th at 19:00: Conversation on the culture as infrastructure

If we understand infrastructure as the physical and organizational instrument that enables the operation of the society and enriched by the evidence that new technologies expand the impact of any message worldwide, we can describe culture as an infrastructure itself.
Because of its local, urban, national and global effect, culture is intimately linked to communication and contemporary mobility. It is a home and refuge for major changes and revision of codes and paradigms that affect the whole society. But isn’t culture even more? Culture provides not only the means of delivery but also creates the content, the new ideas by itself? So, how can culture become a true motor of urban progress of social and economic development beyond its educational purpose? Is investment in culture an investment in infrastructure?

In the panel:

Jan Åman Curator and writer Stockholm, Sweden
Antoni Muntadas NYC Artist. Professor of the practice at MIT ACT -School of Architecture
Jens Richter Architect, Herreros Arquitectos
Juan Herreros Architect, Herreros Arquitectos
Henrik der Minassian Director of ROM

Among others and the public.

All conversation events will be attended by Juan Herreros, Jens Richter and a representative from LPO architects!

Sunday October 16th at 18:00 The Paella!

ROM and Herreros Arquitectos are inviting you to the finishing event of The Banquet project.

Supported by:
The Tourist office of Spain in Oslo

Thanks to:
The Mies van der Rohe Foundation, Barcelona
KIB ( Kulturbyggene I Bjørvika / Oslo kommune / Oslo municipality)
HAV Eiendom AS
Ferram Madrid, Spain

Images by Are Carlsen, Mari Sætre, Henrik der Minassian