Museum Cemento Rezola launched the project “Thinking the City” in 2021, a citizen participation laboratory that invites reflection on the transformation and future of cities through the lenses of environmental sustainability and social urbanism.
Cities continue to grow relentlessly—often beyond their urban cores—right before our eyes. In this context of expansion, peri-urban areas like Añorga emerge, offering a glimpse into the potential future of rural zones near urban centers.
To analyze this setting, Thinking the City focuses on these transitional spaces through the exhibition B(as)erri.
This outreach project seeks to explore the evolution of the baserri, the traditional Basque farmhouse, within peri-urban contexts, and its potential as a tool for revitalizing territories experiencing decline or depopulation.
At the same time, beyond architectural renovation, key features of the traditional baserri—such as self-sufficiency, communal stewardship of the natural environment, and intergenerational living—could provide creative, inclusive, and resilient opportunities for the future.
The idea is to take the contingency of the baserri as an opportunity to imagine a new model: B(as)erri as a “post” space—one that offers a glimpse into what we once dreamed of or were promised as utopia.
The exhibition includes, among other materials, interviews with local residents from rural areas and expert voices, offering insights into the preliminary research conducted through a series of evocative snapshots.