Danish architect Bjarke Ingels has released a statement explaining his reasoning behind the decision to meet with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro last week.
In the statement, Ingels, founder and creative partner at the multi-national architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), explains that his decision to meet with Brazilian officials was aimed at avoiding "oversimplification of a complex world" while also pushing for "active engagement, not superficial clickbait or ignorance" in terms of the work the firm undertakes. The meeting with Bolsonaro, Ingels explains, came as part of a larger research mission undertaken with the sustainable tourism developer Nomade Group aimed at investigating the possibility of bringing green tourism initiatives to the northeast coast of Brazil.
Critics and commentators on the internet were swift to condemn Ingels's potential involvement in Brazilian projects due to a long history of homophobic, anti-indigenous, and anti-environmental positions taken by the Brazilian president. In particular, Bolsonaro, who is sometimes referred to as the "Donald Trump of the Tropics," is a strong supporter of the agribusiness policies that caused a great deal of global uproar last year due to the increased burning of Amazon rain forest those policies support. Bolsonaro has also stripped indigenous people living throughout Brazil of their rights through various initiatives, holds views that are described as misogynistic and homophobic, and speaks fondly of other dictatorial leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin.
Ingels is, of course, not the first world famous architect to come under fire for soliciting or undertaking work from nefarious dictators or for taking part in work that violates human rights.
Zaha Hadid and British architect Norman Foster have both received criticism for their work with Kazakhstan's dictator, Nursultan Nazarbayev, for example, while OMA and Herzog & DeMeuron have been accused of suffering from magical thinking with regards to potential social impacts the projects they designed in China in support of the 2008 Olympic Games might have had there.
Many have asked what we are doing in Brazil.
My colleague and I have been on a fact-finding trip with Nomade Group to gather background information for a holistic masterplan for responsible tourism in socially and environmentally sustainable destinations in Northeast Brazil. Some may know the incredible, barefoot, light impact environments that Nomade is known for – a form of tourism that doesn’t replace the forest or the sand but rather inhabits and preserves it. A much-needed alternative to the high-rises on the beach that often happens when international tourism arrives as it has in Cancun only hours north of Tulum.
We traveled the Northeast Coast of Brazil from Fortaleza to Atins, crossing three states, meeting mayors, governors and ministers across the entire political spectrum, and most importantly, amazing people from all walks of life. The observations and ideas we presented in our preliminary research to the ministries of Economy and Tourism impacted them so much that that they asked us to present our ideas directly to the president’s office. How better to impact the future of the region and the country than to plant the ideas we believe in at the highest level of government? Neither the president nor the ministers are our clients, but we are happy to share our ideas and ideals with a government that is willing to listen.
Creating a list of countries or companies that BIG should shy away from working with seems to be an oversimplification of a complex world. Dividing everything into two categories is neither accurate nor reasonable. The way the world evolves isn’t binary but rather gradual and on a vast array of aspects and nuances. If we want to positively impact the world, we need active engagement, not superficial clickbait or ignorance.
I believe we have a great responsibility that comes with the creative platform that we have created. We should use that platform to change the world for the better. We can’t expect every public instance to be aligned with all aspects of our thinking, but we can make sure that we bring the change we want to see in the world, through the work we do. The ideas and ideals of the projects we propose bear their legitimacy. That means working in countries like Brazil (and the USA for that matter) despite the controversies that their elected leaders may generate. One of the core principles of democracy is the ability to coexist and collaborate despite political differences.
In my mind that is a way for us architects to have ethical impact. To engage actively to create the future that we want, by proposing our ideas to people, governments and businesses even if they have different points of view than we do. We have to engage and embrace our differences if we want to dare to imagine a different future.
Bjarke Ingels
**Editor's Note: A previous version of this article attributed a quote to the late architect Zaha Hadid that misrepresented her words as well as the facts relating to ZHA's Al Wakrah stadium project in Qatar. The quote from Hadid was not made regarding that specific project and the project has not resulted in the deaths of any construction workers. We deeply regret the error.
For more information on the incorrect quote, see Archinect's previous coverage of the issue here, here, and here.
17 Comments
so he did a photo-op with a far right leader, without any commitment to do [insert eco jargon here] project. Desperation much?
i agree that you could challenge ideas outside your “bubble” but BIG projects are just ego-driven monstrosities and dubious eco-fi. Brazil has its own architecture culture to draw from, why does it need PewDiPie to drop in
This whole thing is so gross. And I *really like* BIG’s work. But gross.
BiG embarrassment. But keep in mind he just lost WTC job and needs work. (Not sure about the Zaha statistic, though. Might check that number, or clarify when those deaths occurred. She won a lawsuit over that claim.)
I like this comment, ubu loca. It’s both funny and generous.
Thanks for pointing out the error, we have removed the language from the story and issued a correction.
it is sad that zaha is still being tarnished with that same old brush. She could be called out for other stuff maybe, but that case turned out to be bullshit top to bottom. That is the click-bait attitude that Bjarke correctly points to. I agree it is creepy that Bjarke is with the president of Brazil in a photo. It would be off brand for him to be seen chilling with Trump too, and feels about the same as Kanye leaning so much into President Trump. Honestly it looks like Bjarke walked into something not thinking anyone would care and is not able to say he made an error. Or maybe he just wanted to do that eco-whatever project and this was the toll required...either way BIG would be crazy to say anything other than they did. Doesnt mean the profession shouldnt bring it up. Would be cool if it wasnt so black and white though. Why add to the pile of "join my group or fuck off" culture that the internet loves so much?
BIGs work is all focused on Hype and being different (also called BS). Im not surprised he is hanging out with Bolysnaro. In the end hes proved himself to be a commercial architect (like a lot of us...)
Salesman - not an architect
Bjarke Ingels Goebbels
"Creating a list of countries or companies that BIG should shy away from working with seems to be an oversimplification of a complex world"
It's literally unthinkable for Bjarke to decouple photoshoots and PR from the work itself...its almost as if, for him, the publicity and fame is THE work. Architecture is just secondary
Some internet activists that never set foot in Brazil believe they can feel better intimidating a genius like BI, then get a white glove slap across.
Just don't even try to pontificate, and crawl back in your shell.
Bjarke is that you?
Crawl back I said!
Hey, fuck you BolsoNazi bootlicker.
Disappointed. Was hoping Bjarke issued a fatwa.
Hello Bjarke? Any comments today, january 9th 2022?
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