The Aerial Turn

Descrizione

With the dawn of the modern age, the conquest of the third dimension — the aerial domain — set in motion a spatial revolution that irrevocably transformed humanity’s relationship with the city, with territory, and with the planet itself.
The view from above introduced an unprecedented form of spatial knowledge, one from the outset charged with profound practical implications: the command of space, large-scale planning, control and surveillance, and aerial warfare. At the same time, aerial — or aero-spatial — vision gave rise to fundamental ethical and political experiences, including the emergence of an early global consciousness and the first stirrings of ecological awareness. Through a historical and philosophical lens, this book investigates the impact of the aerial revolution on both fronts, tracing the continuities and ruptures that have shaped humanity’s gradual conquest of the skies.

Matteo Vegetti teaches Aestethics and Philosophy of Space at USI (Academy of Architecture), and Theories of Space at Supsi (DACD). He is currently principal investigator of the SNSF Synergy research project Aerial Spatial Revolution. The Conquest of the air and its impact on city, architecture and territory from the origins of aviation to present time.
His latest works include: The Global Spatial Revolution (Milan 2022), Earthscapes (Ed., with T. Morawski, Rome, 2023), Corpo, spazio, architettura (Ed., with F. Bandi, Brescia 2024).