Global Modernism Today

This panel will focus on the current state of histories of global modernism, a term often used to expand the scope of previously Euro-centric narratives around the architectural production of the 20th century. Over the past two decades, several historians, often originating from geographies considered peripheral to the canonical narrative of modernism, have challenged the epistemological and ideological foundations of the dominant narrative of 20th century modernity. They have exposed histories swept aside by the continued reproduction of colonial conceptions of what it means to be modern and the corresponding architectural forms accompanying constructions of the modern self and the modern state. Taking the current exhibition Cairo Modern as a starting point for the discussion, invited panelists will shed light on their scholarship, critiques, and observations of where histories of global modernism are headed.

Speakers:
Esra Akcan, Michael A. McCarthy Professor of Architectural Theory, Department of Architecture, Cornell University
Barry Bergdoll, Meyer Schapiro Professor of Art History, Department of Art History and Archaeology, Columbia University
Mohamed Elshahed, Independent Curator; Author, Cairo Since 1900: An Architectural Guide
Gabrielle Esperdy, Architectural historian and critic; Professor, Hillier College of Architecture & Design

If you register for an online ticket, you will receive an email with a Zoom link to access the program.