Starting from the notion of Cosmologies, the series approaches anomalies in urban and architectural research not as marginal exceptions, but as openings onto multiple and coexisting worlds that challenge how spatial transformations in China – and beyond – are usually interpreted. The program unfolds through ten events organized around three themes – Global Ruralism(s), Architectural Knowledge, and Infrastructure-led Urbanization – including reading labs, talks with international guests (Víctor Muñoz Sanz, Doreen Heng Liu, Zhu Pei, Zhengli Huang), and movie screenings, conceived as spaces for discussion, exchange, and collective reflection.

#01 The first event is the ReadingLab – Global Ruralism(s), conceived as experimental space for collective reflection, open debate and critical exchange among PhD researchers and scholars.

What is rural space today, particularly when examined from a planetary perspective? How might it be theorized beyond metro-normative paradigms and approached as a space in its own right?

Moderated by Sofia Leoni 

Introduced by Astrid Safina

Date: 31 March 2026 , 2:30–4:30 pm

Venue: Sala Ciribini, Castello del Valentino (Politecnico di Torino)

Language: English

To participate and receive the materials, please write to cosmologies@polito.it.