> Urbanisms of Remittances.
(Re)productive Houses in Dispersion

Arts Libris 2019 Award, Fundació Banc Sabadell
Caniche editorial
Madrid, Spain
2017

Research initiated with the support of the Oslo Triennale 2016, After Belonging.

In this book we analyse urban configurations that are funded by remittances. Remittances are small amounts of money sent by transnational workers to support their loved ones in their home countries. Nowadays, the volume of these transactions is so large that, when added up globally, it is more than four and a half times the amount of so-called official development assistance provided by rich countries globally. Focusing on the realities of the Colombian diaspora from the Risaralda region, this study examines the role of design and economic management of housing and cities in the current global care crisis. It pays particular attention to the development of new forms of dispossession through transnational real estate transactions, debt and mortgages. Operating from a transnational perspective, the project also encourages us to imagine alternative urban scenarios where the spheres of productivity and reproduction can be reconsidered. This perspective is applicable in cities worldwide, both in the Global South and the Global North.

We believe that within the discussions about care that take place in the realm of spatial practices, urbanisms of remittances can broaden and deepen the question of who is included in the  “we” when referring to an urbanism of care. Faced with this question, it becomes clear that there is a need for an expanded dialogue between feminist and decolonial perspectives, brought to light by these urbanisms.

Edited by Diego Barajas and Camilo García, the book Urbanisms of Remittances gathers research carried out by Husos: Marta Correal (occupational therapist), Camilo García (architect), Diego Barajas (architect) and María García Isaza (photographer and cultural manager). With the collaboration of Petra Sebova, Natasa Lekkou, Louise Morice, Sergio Reyes and Cristina Jiménez.

(1) Overview of the services and real estate fair in Madrid, specifically aimed at Colombian immigrants as potential investors in new housing projects in Colombia. Up to 14,000 people can attend over a weekend.

(2) Real estate and services fair in Madrid specifically targeting Colombian immigrants as potential investors in new housing projects in Colombia. The booths are primarily occupied by construction companies, developers, private and public financial institutions, airlines, and other Colombian businesses. Events like this are held regularly in cities such as Madrid, New York, and Miami.

(3) Newspaper real estate advertisement targeting the Colombian diaspora in Madrid presents a gated community model, with rows of homogeneous houses. The ad features a white, blond family in the foreground, quite different from most transnational Colombian households in Madrid, both in appearance and family composition. Transnational families have a variety of unique configurations with dispersed members and specific needs. The standard architecture of these houses is not sensitive to these needs.

(4) A self-managed urban model, funded by remittances, in the Kennedy neighborhood of Pereira. The yellow house is a progressive, productive home built with remittance money. Its three entrances allow families to rent out an apartment and operate a shop on the ground floor.

Texts by Camilo García and Diego Barajas / Research: Marta Correal (occupational therapist), Camilo García (architect-urbanist), Diego Barajas (architect-urbanist) and María García Isaza (photographer and cultural manager) / With the collaboration of Petra Sebova, Natasa Lekkou, Louise Morice, Sergio Reyes and Cristina Jiménez. / English translation: Carlota Mir / Photographies of the book: Imagen Subliminal (Miguel de Guzmán y Rocío Romero) / Graphic design: Husos and Bollería Industrial.