Reclaiming Urban Space: Gordon Matta-Clark’s Artistic Approach to the Peripheral Neighborhoods

Abstract

This study examines the interaction of art works and architectural interventions by Gordon Matta-Clark in the context of Tirana, analyzing through his practice the destruction of areas of the city for requalification, a relatively recent phenomenon known as gentrification in Tirana. The main question of this research is how Matta-Clark's creativity can serve as a fruitful resource for understanding urban change and advances in formal sustainability. While Tirana in recent years has experienced urban development, the city is challenging simi- lar problems that important cities like New York have experienced during the 60s and 70s. The history of the city and the social issues are different, but still there are some similarities, especially in the case of gentrification. These problems were addressed by artists who aimed to create a dialogue between community rights and public authorities. Referred to that, Matta Clark's art practice can be seen as a way for dealing with those issues. Matta-Clark's approach challenges the boundaries of the routed belief of the role of archi- tecture; he challenges the fixed rules of architecture by focusing on deconstruction and com- munity involvement. By using his works as a method to analyze urban space, this research investigates the artistic and social dimensions of architecture, urban voids, and the potential of temporary abandoned spaces to foster community engagement. The research examines the potential of Matta-Clark's methods in the context of Tirana’s urban re-qualification.