Joseph Rykwert and Miroslaw Balka in Conversation at British School at Rome

"Memory and Responsibility" took place at the British School at Rome, showcasing architect historian Joseph Rykwert alongside artist Miroslaw Balka, marking the end of Balka's solo exhibition "Emplacement." This event was part of the "Meeting Architecture: Fragments" conference, organized by Marina Engel, and featured a discussion led by Pippo Ciorra that delved into the responsibilities of artistic creation. The conversation touched on Balka's insights into contemporary architecture and Rykwert's critiques of "new capitalism," highlighting their differing views on Duchamp's "abstraction" versus "realism." Born in Warsaw in 1926, Rykwert, who received an honorary degree from the University of Bologna on May 6, lamented the transformation of his childhood home into an orphanage and expressed his stance against context in architecture and art. At 90, he has limited projects remaining.