What can collective scholarship in architectural history look like? The globalization and marketization of academia in the post-pandemic digital sphere have increased competition, but have neglected to foster mutual education, support, and care among scholars. These conditions are especially manifest in architectural history, where a rising number of graduates are scrambling for fewer positions, while under increasing pressure and with limited support structures. Initiatives that build collegiality, mutual support, and a sense of community are especially needed at the graduate and postdoctoral levels. How can alternative pedagogical and collective models help us bridge the gap between expectations and outcomes, in the research and teaching of architectural history? This seminar aims to investigate practices that build support structures for early career academics while also bringing horizontality, equity, and inclusivity to research, the text, and the classroom.

DocTalks is an informal, peer-to-peer, weekly online forum by and for Ph.D. students, postdocs and early career researchers in architectural history and theory. It is organized by a team of researchers from ETH Zurich, USI Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio, McGill University and Harvard University. To this day the platform has featured researchers from more than 100 institutions worldwide, and has spearheaded collaborations with renowned institutions, such as the Emilio Ambasz Institute at MoMA, helping to amplify the voices of the presenters.

This event is free and open to the public. To register, click here.

DocTalks is Gregorio Astengo, Silvia Balzan, Matthew Critchley, Nikos Magouliotis, Davide Spina, Linda Stagni, Cigdem Talu, and Demetra Vogiatzaki.