nicolas abdelkader’s conceptual ‘world popular forum’ is a twelve-pointed democratic center
Nicolas Abdelkader proposes radial democratic center concept
Nicolas Abdelkader proposes the conceptual ‘World Popular Forum’ – a twelve-pointed democratic center with a mission to combat some of the most urgent social, political, environmental, and economic issues of our time. In an allegorical representation of the urban and historical footprint of the Place Charles-de-Gaulle in Paris, France — in particular the French Yellow Vests movement of 2018 — the forum takes shape as a dodecagram, infusing symbolic imagery of a magnetic compass and the sun. Each arm of the radial center hosts workshops tackling a world issue, while the core serves as a space for public events. Together, the program serves as a common place for citizens to become part of a real democratic process, and a local and cross-nation network that can be set up on the territory of any country, and in each of its metropolises, towns and countrysides.
‘The World Popular Forum is a place of political reappropriation and civic rights conceived in the form of citizenship workshops networked within an architectural figure whose constructive layout favors this kind of dialogue,’ explains the designer.
an allegorical representation on the place Charles-de-Gaulle in Paris | all images courtesy of Nicolas Abdelkader
the 12-pointed star tackles 12 major threats to humanity
The World Popular Forum is a twelve-pointed star that will host citizenship workshops and think tanks with a goal to positively influence twelve major interconnected issues of our time. The groups will focus on the democratic and legislative process of the country in which the forum will be established to promote equal opportunities and access to the word for all, and to make citizens become real reformers by the strength of their ideas and their proposals of application. At the core of the radial figure, Nicolas Abdelkader positions an arena of public debate which will serve as a space for conferences and forum events.
The concept arises in the face of the countless upheavals threatening humanity today, including those presented by capitalism and oligarchism. With a view to transform the inherent structure of our societies and the increasingly damaging relationship we have with nature, the project presents citizens with opportunities to take part in democratic systems, and adopt new political, historical, philosophical, and social perspectives on the major issues of our time. The designer describes the Forum as ‘a place that aims to generate a counter-hegemony by grasping in a profound way the evils of our time to better treat them; Inequality, economy, conflicts, food, energy etc.’
the World Popular Forum will host twelve socio-political groups and workshops
