CAAD Forum, Juana Salcedo, "A Cartography of Interconnection"

The Jaguar Corridor Initiative is an unprecedented large-scale conservation project that envisages a continuous territory from northern Argentina to the southern United States to preserve the life of jaguars. In this presentation, Salcedo will discuss the making of a cartography of interconnection that makes visible the entanglements and frictions between urbanization and the Jaguar Corridor. She argues that rather than a sole issue of wildlife conservation, the corridor can be reinterpreted as an infrastructure of care for the sustenance of both human and non-human life—one that is a deeply contested socio-ecological ground where indigenous communities, peasants, and other marginalized populations across the region have struggled for environmental justice. This project was awarded a Research and Development Grant from the Graham Foundation in 2020.

Juana Salcedo is an architectural designer and scholar working at the intersection of architecture and urbanism. Her work critically reflects on the meanings, uses, and shapes of public space and the diverse ways the spatial arts can contribute to the making of convivial, caring, and just alternatives. Before coming to UT Austin, Salcedo taught architecture studios and lectured at the School of Architecture at Universidad de Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia, and the Urban Studies program at the University of Connecticut.

The CAAD Forum series, held roughly every other Friday during the fall and spring semesters, brings faculty, staff, and students together for an informal and inquisitive discussion about ideas relating to architecture and its history, theory, practice, and future.

Presentations are followed by time for Q&A, with the option to participate in person or via live webcast. Attendees are expected to follow the University's COVID-19 guidance, including recommendations for masks, distancing, and vaccination. Please note that lunch is not provided for this event.