Our North is the South: Teaching and Learning the History of Architecture from the South

In 1935, Uruguayan artist Joaquín Torres-García reversed the map of South America to argue for the point of view of artists working “from the south,” eloquently claiming: “Our north is the south.” Thinking with Torres-García, this module presents five architectural history lectures that think about global exchanges and networks from the point of view of South and Latin America. The history of architecture in the region presents particular opportunities and challenges for a global, interconnected approach. From the first inhabitants of the Americas to the contemporary challenges of historicizing their architectural remains, we propose the architecture of Latin America has always been global, but historicizing its transnational character has been limited by nationalist ideologies, extended periods of political isolation, and lack of resources. This module seeks to go beyond these limits and address the challenges and opportunities of a truly global history of architecture in Latin America—one that reflects the region’s multiple connections.

Together, these lectures ask: What can Latin America contribute to a more global understanding of the processes of our discipline, and what is the contribution of teaching and learning the history of architecture from the South as both a geographic and conceptual position?