CAR TUNING FOR ARCHITECTS "EDITORIAL EDITION"
Elective studio

In this elective, we will focus on the world of car tuning and relate its languages, media, artefacts and masterminds to those of architecture. How does the wide spectrum of tuning culture relate to the built environment, its fashions and aesthetics? Tuning is understood as a modifying culture in which both performance and looks are altered. We believe that architecture derives its meaning from a similar and complex dance between performance and aesthetics, program and tectonics.
By diving deep into the subcultural field of automotive extravaganza, we will discover strategies, slang, tricks and metaphors that exist in our domains also, but only reveal themselves by means of our extraterritorial detour.

THE EDITORIAL EDITION

For this TUNING iteration, we will collaborate as an editorial team and create the 2nd issue of MISANTHROPOZINE. This cool-critical journal experiments with visual architectural culture, and engages the post-millennial and superficial sensibilities of the personae that are part of it. The first issue Tantric Urbanism launched in 2020. Its sequel is based on the tuning topic, and hinges on the elective studios and contributions by international artists, designers and authors, and the global tuning communities.
(how) Do we talk tuning? We will take up roles such as the (gonzo) journalist, photographer, sound designer, graphic designer, chronicler, editor. In smaller groups, we will organise deep dives into car tuning worlds near and far, vernacular and exotic; we will infiltrate or instigate events, virtual and IRL; we will interview gurus; we will mine graphic styles and strategies. By bringing these excursions back to our standard fields of operation, we will become a unique species of petrol-archiheads!

SHOWROOM

Unique to this edition, we will land in a recently vacated Volkswagen showroom at the Leiekaai in Ghent, which we will furnish and run as an Architects-Tuners-Club. The showroom is research floor, workshop and exhibition space all in one.The showroom will also house the tuning magazine collection of our architecture library, and invites you to stick around beyond the elective operation hours.

STRUCTURE

STAGE 0: SHOWROOM INAUGURATION
To warm up our project space, we will organize a Car Tuning for Architects kick-off night. A buffet of screenings, presentations, media and music will help us establish our archi-tuner community.
Goal: networking, immersion, mining.

STAGE 1A: TUNING RESEARCH
Individually, participants assume a role to contribute to the MISANTHROPOZINE team work. We will execute ‘features:’ small teams (1 to 3) will initiate new projects or investigate existing leads. Each team works on one constituent of the broader tuning topic in conjunction with the collective agenda. Tools: eyes, brains, feet, hands, ears. Be thorough, be obsessed. Do what you like!
Goal: research, exploration, project definition

STAGE 1B: MISANTHROPOZINE 2
Alongside the project work, and in collaboration with guests, one small team will oversee the editorial process, focused on publishing an architecture X tuning journal. During our weekly meetings, the editorial team manages the sharing of work. These plenary discussions and pinups will trigger teams to format projects to consolidate a first-ever Car Tuning for Architects Anthology.
Goal: prototyping, production, discourse

STAGE 2: CAR TUNING FOR ARCHITECTS
Time to shine! We’re fully operational as a team: we found roles as researchers, designers, interviewers, fundraisers and editors. In this phase our work comes together and we build MISANTHROPOZINE #2!
Goal: publication

PRO STAGE: TUNING LIVE
The ultimate horizon of our elective is be the launch of our journal at our showroom. A second live event, this time aimed at the public.

TUNING is an elective studio taught by Ginckels and guests at the KU Leuven Faculty of Architecture, Sint-Lucas Ghent Campus. The studio is offered in the Fall semester, and starts in October 2022.
Contact us for cross-university enrollment or to enquire about shorter guest programs; or to invite us for archi-tuning expertise at your speed events.

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