Tabula rasa nella modernizzazione: assimilazione del modello tra identità e innovazione

Reflecting upon Modernity means going back to the past. In a phase characterized by a strong acceleration of the ongoing transformation, Modernity, as a heritage, leads architecture and planning to meditate on the effectiveness of the old values. In this regard, the process of modernization ─ conceived as “convergence to social change”, which started in the last century ─ and the related phenomenon of globalization can be a meaningful topic of discussion. Moving away from a Eurocentric perspective, this essay explores the places that, by reflex, were exposed to severe pressure. It wants to acquire the point of view of the “receiving countries” in order to better examine the different reception ways in the perception of those (external) forces, which over the time, have determined a large scale transformation. One of the most significant aspects of the modernist machine was the universalistic propensity, whose results are still trackable in the contemporary city. Tabula rasa was one of its main attitudes: displace, destroy and replace became the key words of the urban policy. We will next use tabula rasa as a metaphor to describe both the material and immaterial actions on the territory: a point of departure (due to predetermined conditions) or a point of arrival (act of a choice), that allows us to think about the relationship between innovation and tradition. In the process of assimilation of external models, we can recognize two behaviors, as already codified by the ancient Roman culture: imitatio (the unchanged iteration) and aemulatio (the critical reworking). Nevertheless, we can speak about negatio, that is the rejection of everything which is foreign, and finally employ these three “categories” to think over the modern experiment. The events occured during the 20th century show how the necessity for renovation has often been interpreted as a complete separation from tradition. This is the case of the eastern countries, where the destructions of war linked with the imposition of ideological role models have represented the apotheosis of the tabula rasa. Cultural alienation was one of its worst consequences, and this is the reason why at a later time, the reaction of negatio appeared, prompted by the desire to return to the roots. Roots that in others cases were the real foundations from which a new paradigm, to be exported, began to arise (adopting aemulatio). Starting from the frontiers' movements, from the alternate moments of openness and closure in the Modernity history it is possible to observe the different roles in the game of negotiation among international relations. In this context, what is the role of architecture in relation to the elimination, conservation, and development of national and individual identity? Could tradition be renewed and updated depending on the fresh needs? Today, tabula rasa as an attitude or circumstance catches the attention of the European culture of urbanism. Therefore, the dialectic between continuity and discontinuity comes to life, presenting us with renovated issues.