Come camping on our terrace: The Convivial Laboratory project

by BASE Milano

No, we didn’t just go crazy. We decided to answer the questions we are asking ourselves (about the possibility of cohabitating in an alternative way) through strong action: transforming BASE into a place of political presence.

BASE proposes a temporary cohabitation experiment for a group who will live on the BASE terrace from April 12th to 23rd.

The call is open to designers, students, curators and cultural operators interested in design week and willing to share an experiment of temporary coexistence with maximum 20 people, sleeping in a tent on our terrace for 10 days. 

Cost of participation: € 33 per night that includes: tent (single), mattress and locker. As part of the community you can access the public program and musical evenings.

“You had my attention, now you have my interest”.
Ok, this is why we are doing it.

A group experiment exploring different forms of dwelling. Over the course of 10 days, 20 designers and students from around the world will reside in a campsite set up on the terrace of BASE, where they will share their practices and activate discussions on the theme of precarious living.

The notion of camping in tents as we mean it today originated in the early 1900s – between the two industrial revolutions – when the necessity to temporarily escape the grey atmosphere of the metropolis became a widespread urgency.

Tents, however, have also historically served as a symbol of protest, appearing in a variety of applications throughout history, including the Resurrection City of the Poor People’s Campaign of Washington in the 1960s, as well as in the Nomadic Furniture project by Hennessey and Papaneck released between the 1960s and 1970s. The shared desire to collaboratively reshape the world and its fundamental structures is common thread linking all these iconic interpretations of the tent.

From April 12th to the 23rd, BASE Milano presents The Convivial Laboratory — The Camp: designers, students, curators, and cultural workers, will live in a campsite set up on the Terrace.

The Camp is a collective experiment that wishes to create a meeting spot, combining the energy of the protest movements occurring in large urban landscapes, with the soft power of the counterculture operating in wild natural settings.

We’re looking for new forms of coexistence and interdependence, based principles such as cooperation, democracy, dialogue between cultures, equal dignity, and ecological responsibility. Is it possible to create different forms of interdependent relationships, contemplating our behaviours, feelings, and spatiality? READ MORE ON THE EDITORIAL ↗

How will it be

The daily rhythm will be shaped by moments of discourse and open sharing of practices, among the small community that will inhabit and renew the space: activities will include bread-making, tea rituals and Elevator Radio‘s live broadcasts, among many others.

16 APR H9:30AM
SENSI – immersion/feel *
SOUND BATH + MASSAGE

*in collaboration with DOPO?


17 APR H6PM
MTMY (Maria Tedde & Yaprak Kırdök + Alessio Atzori)
floatingsound – smuovere le acque


18 APR H6PM
Ludovico Grantaliano & Agustina Salvatori *
Chin – collective card tournament


19 APR H4PM
Bread-baking
ROSALIE PIRAS
Rendez-vous autour du brasero

Good to know

What to bring: remember to bring a sleeping bag, pillow, bed sheet or sheet and of course towels. Remember to bring a flashlight.

Remember: the ability to share practices and collaborative knowledge are essential requirements.

Weather: In April the weather is uncertain and the terrace is at the mercy of the weather. Get ready with appropriate clothing and accessories. The tents are not electrified but there will be other areas electrified normally.

Bathroom and services: Living together means sharing spaces, bathrooms included. Bathrooms and showers of the campsite are mixed and gender-free. Showers are outdoor.

Food: BASE has two bars on the ground floor (one indoor and one outdoor) and a bar on the terrace open in the afternoon and evening open to the general public.

So... is this getting serious?

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