Abstract
For Macedonian architects , the theme and the subject of Freespace could not be in a better accordance with the issues imposed in the past several years by the political and populist attempt to transform the identity of the city of Skopje . In an utterly intense construction offensive titled ” Skopje 2014 ” , which occupied the city centre with end less arrays of flamboyant styrofoam facades and pompous bronze monuments , it was the architec ture and urbanism that were misused up to a point of an entirely frivolous manipulation of the public space , in order to capture , suppress or negate any prior architectural achievements . Therefore , the proposal by the curators Slobodan Velevski and Marija Mano Velevska , as well as the four teams of architects assembled for the project Freeingspace in the Macedonian pavilion at the 16th International Architecture Exhibition , takes off from the loss of public space , its critical review and the restitution of the values of free space in an architectural and social sense . In addition to the representation and participation with these specific experiences in the global discussion about the state and the challeng es of architecture today , the reason behind the sup port by the Museum of Contemporary Art for the realization of the project Freeingspace can also be found in the belief and hope that in a local context , the ideas and visions contained therein shall be the essential catalyst for facing the provocative chal lenges of the phantom presence of Skopje 2014 and for reinventing the democratic and humane values of architecture