Ruins have inspired meditations on theology, politics, and aesthetics. As architectural remnants of temporal rupture, they exist in suspension between past and future, memory and possibility. In historical and experiential terms, ruins provoke questions about structures of power: who or what is forgotten in the ruin-gazing traditions of the past? What new imaginaries emerge in the speculative or emancipatory narratives of the future?

This discussion invites contemporary architects to consider how choices around preservation, transformation, or reclamation shape engagements with space and memory.

Speakers:

Cory Henry, 2025-26 American Academy in Rome Fellow 
www.a-ch.com

Brent Leggs, 2026 American Academy in Rome Resident

Sabrina Morreale, 2024 American Academy in Rome Enel Foundation Italian Fellow 
www.rca.ac.uk/more/staff/sabrina-morreale

Moderated by Ilaria Puri Purini, Andrew Heiskell Arts Director at the American Academy in Rome.

Attendees must hold a valid exhibition ticket to access the event.