Scripts to read the city imagines an urban environment that can be read, analyzed and criticized as a text. By reading the city in this way we find other possible ways of seeing, moving and listening.

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In cities that are becoming so seamless and focused on efficiency and productivity at all costs, can we imagine digital technology that favors playfulness over efficiency? In cities filled with navigation systems that constantly impose restrictions and feel overly scripted, we propose workshops on writing scripts—to enhance unpredictability. Imagine moving through space in a completely different way than usual—where curiosity, rather than efficiency, guides your journey. Not traveling in the most effective way, but following a playful script. What situations might arise along the way? This is not about practicality but about rediscovering our cities, stimulating imagination, and engaging with space from a new perspective.

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During the workshop, we will focus on the simplest material—paper. Using it alongside our creative observations, we will create paper-based tools and scripts that determine unconventional routes. We will introduce our project and bring our digital device. We will focus on crafting scripts for adventurous walks. Everything can be coded, but the first step is observation!

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Enjoy this guided walk and create your own observation device with Rotterdam-based designers Mania Napiórkowska and Anita Burato. Free to attend with any MANIFEST:IO ticket. Registration required due to limited capacity.

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