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tone megrunn berge emergingarcticlandscapes.blogspot.com #5 - reorientations THERE ARE NO MAPS FOR THESE TERRITORIES “And yet it is important to emphasize that the element of surprise, the unexpected, the other, is crucial to what space gives us.” (Doreen Massey, For Space. 2005/2011, p.112) Through the reading of Doreen Massey this studio has challenged (mis)conceptions about space and it’s inevitable interconnection with time: ‘Space is an open ongoing production’ (D.M, For Space. 2005/2011, p. 55.) Through readings of Allen/Sauter the concept of vulnerability was introduced an along with the concepts of Flexibility (G. Bateson) and New Hierarchies (Deleuze&Guattari) strong theoretical tools for developing a ‘thinking that is every bit as fluent as the system you are thinking about’, has been founded for. In For Space Doreen Massey accentuates that one way chance has become integral to thinking about space is through architecture (d.M,For Space. 2005/2011, p. 112). It was Tschumi who said that the one thing that makes the work of architects ultimately different from the work of philosophers is materiality. Even though this statement can undoubtedly be discussed -how can architecture, constant or ephemeral, small or big, embed the qualities that we have argued for and worked towards throughout the studio? Reorientations means to ‘find one’s position again and again in one’s relation to one’s surroundings.’(thefreedictionary.com) When Doreen Massey under the label ‘reorientations ‘ gives us some hints towards projects that evokes interest in this specific regard she mentions some projects that have an element of chance in them: Aldo van Eyck, Amsterdam Children’s Home and Sculpture park in Arnhem and Bernhard Tschumi, Parc de la Villette. I will not go so much into these projects, but spend some more time reflecting upon a piece of art which certainly has captured many of it’s audience, including Doreen Massey. She writes about Olafur Eliasson’s The Weather Project: ‘It is impossible to encounter something with no preconceptions at all, but the full recognition that the encountered is also moving on at least slightly disturbs one’s confidence in the fact that these expectations will be met. An encounter is always with something ‘on the move’. The voyager is not the only active one. Origin and destination have lives of their own. This project of undoing that traditional counterposition of active subject and passive object is an element in Olafur Eliasson’s practice. He challenges the static, given, implacable ‘objecthood’ of art.’ (Doreen Massey, Some Times of Space/The Weather Project. 2003, p.107-118.) The Weather Project fulfills the potential of being something larger than itself. It deals with a topic that everyone has a relation to -the weather. In front of the rich lighting the audience becomes a part of the scene. ‘Eliasson has sought to bring a part of London into the building, and through the experience

Lecture Summary #5 Reorientations

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tone megrunn berge emergingarcticlandscapes.blogspot.com #5 - reorientations

T H E R E A R E N O M A P S F O R T H E S E T E R R I T O R I E S

“ A n d y e t i t i s i m p o r t a n t t o e m p h a s i z e t h a t t h e e l e m e n t o f s u r p r i s e , t h e u n e x p e c t e d , t h e o t h e r, i s c r u c i a l t o w h a t s p a c e g i v e s u s . ” ( D o r e e n M a s s e y , F o r S p a c e . 2 0 0 5 / 2 0 1 1 , p . 1 1 2 )

T h r o u g h t h e r e a d i n g o f D o r e e n M a s s e y t h i s s t u d i o h a s c h a l l e n g e d ( m i s ) c o n c e p t i o n s a b o u t s p a c e a n d i t ’ s i n e v i t a b l e i n t e r c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t i m e : ‘ S p a c e i s a n o p e n o n g o i n g p r o d u c t i o n ’ ( D . M , F o r S p a c e . 2 0 0 5 / 2 0 1 1 , p . 5 5 . ) T h r o u g h r e a d i n g s o f A l l e n / S a u t e r t h e c o n c e p t o f v u l n e r a b i l i t y w a s i n t r o d u c e d a n a l o n g w i t h t h e c o n c e p t s o f F l e x i b i l i t y ( G . B a t e s o n ) a n d N e w H i e r a r c h i e s ( D e l e u z e & G u a t t a r i ) s t r o n g t h e o r e t i c a l t o o l s f o r d e v e l o p i n g a ‘ t h i n k i n g t h a t i s e v e r y b i t a s f l u e n t a s t h e s y s t e m y o u a r e t h i n k i n g a b o u t ’ , h a s b e e n f o u n d e d f o r . I n F o r S p a c e D o r e e n M a s s e y a c c e n t u a t e s t h a t o n e w a y c h a n c e h a s b e c o m e i n t e g r a l t o t h i n k i n g a b o u t s p a c e i s t h r o u g h a r c h i t e c t u r e ( d . M , F o r S p a c e . 2 0 0 5 / 2 0 1 1 , p . 1 1 2 ) .

I t w a s T s c h u m i w h o s a i d t h a t t h e o n e t h i n g t h a t m a k e s t h e w o r k o f a r c h i t e c t s u l t i m a t e l y d i f f e r e n t f r o m t h e w o r k o f p h i l o s o p h e r s i s m a t e r i a l i t y . E v e n t h o u g h t h i s s t a t e m e n t c a n u n d o u b t e d l y b e d i s c u s s e d - h o w c a n a r c h i t e c t u r e , c o n s t a n t o r e p h e m e r a l , s m a l l

o r b i g , e m b e d t h e q u a l i t i e s t h a t w e h a v e a r g u e d f o r a n d w o r k e d t o w a r d s t h r o u g h o u t t h e s t u d i o ?

R e o r i e n t a t i o n s m e a n s t o ‘ f i n d o n e ’ s p o s i t i o n a g a i n a n d a g a i n i n o n e ’ s r e l a t i o n t o o n e ’ s s u r r o u n d i n g s . ’ ( t h e f r e e d i c t i o n a r y . c o m ) W h e n D o r e e n M a s s e y u n d e r t h e l a b e l ‘ r e o r i e n t a t i o n s ‘ g i v e s u s s o m e h i n t s t o w a r d s p r o j e c t s t h a t e v o k e s i n t e r e s t i n t h i s s p e c i f i c r e g a r d s h e m e n t i o n s s o m e p r o j e c t s t h a t h a v e a n e l e m e n t o f c h a n c e i n t h e m : A l d o v a n E y c k , A m s t e r d a m C h i l d r e n ’ s H o m e a n d S c u l p t u r e p a r k i n A r n h e m a n d B e r n h a r d T s c h u m i , P a r c d e l a V i l l e t t e . I w i l l n o t g o s o m u c h i n t o t h e s e p r o j e c t s , b u t s p e n d s o m e m o r e t i m e r e f l e c t i n g u p o n a p i e c e o f a r t w h i c h c e r t a i n l y h a s c a p t u r e d m a n y o f i t ’ s a u d i e n c e , i n c l u d i n g D o r e e n M a s s e y . S h e w r i t e s a b o u t O l a f u r E l i a s s o n ’ s T h e We a t h e r P r o j e c t : ‘ I t i s i m p o s s i b l e t o e n c o u n t e r s o m e t h i n g w i t h n o p r e c o n c e p t i o n s a t a l l , b u t t h e f u l l r e c o g n i t i o n t h a t t h e e n c o u n t e r e d i s a l s o m o v i n g o n a t l e a s t s l i g h t l y d i s t u r b s o n e ’ s c o n f i d e n c e i n t h e f a c t t h a t t h e s e e x p e c t a t i o n s w i l l b e m e t . A n e n c o u n t e r i s a l w a y s w i t h s o m e t h i n g ‘ o n t h e m o v e ’ . T h e v o y a g e r i s n o t t h e o n l y a c t i v e o n e . O r i g i n a n d d e s t i n a t i o n h a v e l i v e s o f t h e i r o w n . T h i s p r o j e c t o f u n d o i n g t h a t t r a d i t i o n a l c o u n t e r p o s i t i o n o f a c t i v e s u b j e c t a n d p a s s i v e o b j e c t i s a n e l e m e n t i n O l a f u r E l i a s s o n ’ s p r a c t i c e . H e c h a l l e n g e s t h e s t a t i c , g i v e n , i m p l a c a b l e ‘ o b j e c t h o o d ’ o f a r t . ’ ( D o r e e n M a s s e y , S o m e T i m e s o f S p a c e / T h e We a t h e r P r o j e c t . 2 0 0 3 , p . 1 0 7 - 1 1 8 . )

T h e We a t h e r P r o j e c t f u l f i l l s t h e p o t e n t i a l o f b e i n g s o m e t h i n g l a r g e r t h a n i t s e l f . I t d e a l s w i t h a t o p i c t h a t e v e r y o n e h a s a r e l a t i o n t o - t h e w e a t h e r . I n f r o n t o f t h e r i c h l i g h t i n g t h e a u d i e n c e b e c o m e s a p a r t o f t h e s c e n e . ‘ E l i a s s o n h a s s o u g h t t o b r i n g a p a r t o f L o n d o n i n t o t h e b u i l d i n g , a n d t h r o u g h t h e e x p e r i e n c e

tone megrunn berge emergingarcticlandscapes.blogspot.com #5 - reorientations

a n d m e m o r y o f t h e w o r k , a p a r t o f i t i s t a k e n b a c k o u t i n t o t h e c i t y b y t h e v i e w e r . ( t a t e . o r g . u k / e x h i b i t i o n s / m o d e r n / e l i a s s o n /u n d e r s t a n d i n g ) . T h e p i e c e i s n o t l i m i t e d t o t h e m e m o r i e s a n d t h e e x p e r i e n c e i n t h e t u r b i n e h a l l . I t i s i n f o r m e d b y m e m b e r s o f t h e s t a f f a t t h e m u s e u m , a n d i t c o n t a i n s a s u r v e y o f p e o p l e s a t t i t u d e s / e x p e c t a t i o n s t o t h e w e a t h e r . T h e s i g n i f i c a n t s i d e o f t h e p r o j e c t i n o u r r e g a r d i s h o w i t c o m m u n i c a t e s t h e d y n a m i c f r a m e o f o u r e v e r y d a y l i v e s . T h e w e a t h e r m e d i a t e s t h e c i t y . T h e c i t y m e d i a t e s t h e w e a t h e r .

T h e t i t l e o f t h i s l e c t u r e i s i n s p i r e d b y W i l l i a m G i b s o n ’ s N o M a p s F o r T h e s e T e r r i t o r i e s , 2 0 0 0 . ‘ W i t h q u i c k - c u t i m a g e s a n d r e f l e c t i o n s u p o n t h e g l o b a l i z e d w o r l d G i b s o n s e t s o u t e n r o u t e A m e r i c a , a n d p o i n t s o u t t h a t M a p s a r e t r u l y g o o d r e m i n d e r s o f o f h o w p r o f o u n d t h e c h a n g e s h a v e b e e n i n t h e w o r l d t h e l a s t d e c a d e s , a n d t h e s e c h a n g e s t e l l s a g r e a t d e a l a b o u t h o w i t i s t o b e h u m a n - t h e o n l y a n i m a l s t h a t m a k e m a p s a f t e r a l l . ’ ( i m d b .c o m )

A m o n g s t p o s s i b l e r e f e r e n c e s t o G i b s o n ’ s s c r e e n I w a n t t o b r i n g s o m e a t t e n t i o n t o t h e n o t i o n o f g l o b a l i z a t i o n a n d t h e n o t i o n o f m a p s . T o b e c r i t i c a l t o w a r d s t h e m a k i n g o f m a p s i s c r u c i a l f o r m a n y r e a s o n s a n d w e h a v e d i s c u s s e d t h e m t h r o u g h o u t t h e s e m e s t e r . F o r o n e , t h e w a y w e m a k e m a p s d e c i d e h o w w e l o o k u p o n t h e w o r l d , a n d f o r a n o t h e r , t h e w a y w e m a k e m a p s d e c i d e w h i c h a l t e r a t i o n s w e c a n d o t o t h e s p a c e s w e h a v e m a p p e d ( C a t h a r i n a G a b r i e l s s o n ) . O n e e x a m p l e t h a t e l u c i d a t e s h o w n e t w o r k i n g , b o t h i n t e c h n o l o g i c a l t e r m s a n d a s h u m a n r e l a t i o n s r e s u l t s i n a d y n a m i c m a p p i n g p r o c e s s i s E c o s i s t e m a U r b a n o w i t h S t o r t o r g e t i n H a m a r . T h e y d e m o n s t r a t e a n o p e n a n d i n c l u d i n g s t r a t e g y f o r t h e d e s i g n o f t h e t o w n s q u a r e . T h r o u g h a n e l a b o r a t e n e t w o r k d e s i g n p r o c e s s c o m m o n k n o w l e d g e a n d i n t e r e s t s a r e c o n s t a n t l y b e i n g r e m a p p e d a n d t h e s i t e h a s b e e n r e l o c a t e d i n t h e s e n s e t h a t i t i s n o w a h o t s p o t f o r d i s c u s s i o n s a n d e n g a g e m e n t p o s s i b l y f r o m a l l o v e r t h e w o r l d . T h e c o m p l e x i t y o f t h e n e t w o r k t h a t e m b e d s t h e H a m a r p r o c e s s i s t r u l y a ‘ c a r t o g r a p h y w i t h l o o s e e n d s a n d o n g o i n g s t o r i e s . ’ ( D . M , F o r S p a c e . 2 0 0 0 5 / 2 0 1 1 , p . 1 0 7 )

S u c h c a r t o g r a p h i e s a r e c h a l l e n g e s t o h a n d l e , a n d a t c e r t a i n s c a l e s t h e y a r e i n e v i t a b l y b e c o m i n g m a s s i v e - t h e p o s s i b i l i t i e s a n d c h a l l e n g e s t h a t c o m e w i t h g l o b a l i z a t i o n a r e i m m e n s e . K e l l e r E a s t e r l i n g i s a n a s s o c i a t e p r o f e s s o r a t Ya l e , a r c h i t e c t a n d w r i t e r w h o o f t e n d e a l s w i t h t h e s e s c a l e s , ‘ s o m a s s i v e i t i s s o m e t i m e s i n v i s i b l e ’ ( M . W h i t e , U r b a n S l o t M a c h i n e , A r c h i n e t F e a t u r e s , 2 0 0 6 ) I n O r g a n i z a t i o n S p a c e ( 1 9 9 9 ) a n d E n d u r i n g I n n o c e n c e ( 2 0 0 5 ) E a s t e r l i n g h a n d l e s g e o p o l i t i c a l q u e s t i o n s . S h e w o r k s a t t h e n e x u s b e t w e e n a r c h i t e c t u r e , l o g i s t i c s a n d o r g a n i z a t i o n a n d t h e r e i s a c l e a r a p o l i t i c a l m o d e o f a n a l y s i s i n h e r w a y o f w o r k i n g w i t h a r c h i t e c t u r e . O n e o f E a s t e r l i n g ’ s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s i s h o w s h e u s e s a n e l e g a n t a n d i n v e n t i v e v o c a b u l a r y a s a m e a n t o m a p s p a t i a l q u a l i t i e s i n s t r u c t u r e s / s y s t e m s t h a t a r e n o t u s u a l l y c o n s i d e r e d w i t h i n t h e r e a l m o f a r c h i t e c t u r e . ‘ T h i s w a y s h e f o r g e s n e w c o n c e p t s a n d w i t h t h e m n e w p o s s i b l e s t r a t e g i e s . ’ ( F . S c o t t , ‘ D i s p o s i t i o n ’ b y K e l l e r E a s t e r l i n g a t A v e r y H a l l , 2 0 1 0 . ) W i t h d e f i n i t i o n s s u c h a s ‘ s p a t i a l p r o d u c t s ’ a n d ‘ t e c h n i q u e s o f p o w e r ’ a n d r e p o s i t i o n i n g i n f r a s t r u c t u r e n o t m e r e l y a s s o m e s t r u c t u r e b e t w e e n n o d e s i n o u r l i v e s , b u t a s t h e u n d e r l y i n g t e c h n i q u e f o r p o l i t i c a l o r g a n i z a t i o n E a s t e r l i n g w o r k s w i t h g e o p o l i t i c a l q u e s t i o n s - e t h i c a l a n d p o l i t i c a l q u e s t i o n s b e c o m e s t h e c o r e o f w h a t t h e a r c h i t e c t d o e s .

T h e w a y o f m e a n s a r e c o u n t l e s s , s o a r e a l s o t h e l e v e l s o f a p p r o a c h . E i t h e r w a y D o r e e n M a s s e y c h a l l e n g e s u s t o ‘ r e -i m a g i n e s p a c e s f o r t h e s e t i m e s a n d f a c e u p t o t h e i r c h a l l e n g e . ’

tone megrunn berge emergingarcticlandscapes.blogspot.com #5 - reorientationstone megrunn berge emergingarcticlandscapes.blogspot.com #5 - reorientations

N O M A P S F O R T H E S E T E R R I T O R I E S

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tone megrunn berge emergingarcticlandscapes.blogspot.com #5 - reorientations

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