MANIFES-TOES SAY ABOUT MISTAKES? PERHAPS TOUCH ON THE IMPORTANCE AND LEARNMISTAKES. PERHOPS IT'S CONSIDERED A GIVEN, HOW TO DESIGN. IF NOTHING ABAUT MISSAJ? WE ALL KNOW ABOUT IT. IT’S IN THE CHANGE OUR BEHAVIOUR AND WE KNOW WE STILL DON’T MANAGE TO GIVE UP ON THE LOSE OUR PRIVILEGES AND FOR SZURE NOT KNOW THAT WE LIVE IN ABUNDANCE, THAT OUR PLANET WITH LIMITED RISORCES. OUR ITS ENERGI. SO THE QUESTION REMAINS GO? AND WILL THIS HELP US TO FINALEXPLOITATIVE TO OUR HOME ANYMORE? IN LONG-GONE ART IDOLS LIKE REMBRANDT FORM OF FLATTERY. FASCINATED BY THE HAND, ART FORGERZ DEPART ON A JOURCHANELING SUPERNATURAL ABILLYITY TO CANVAS THROUGH THEIR OWN BODIES. HOWEVCONSIDERED FRAUDULENT CRAFTSMANSHIP AND A WHAT MISTOOKS DO ART FORGERS MAKE ON FAKE, WHICH EKSPOSE THEIR AKTIVITIS THE SAME TIME, WHY ARE WE SO OBSESSED MASTERS OF COPY-MAKING AND WHAT DOES IT WITH ART? WHAT DO A VARIETY OF DESIGN PERHAPS UNSURPRISINGLY, NOT THAT MUCH. LEARNING TO BE GAINED FROM MAKING MISGIWEN, INHERENT TO DESIGN AND LEARNING MISTAKES, WHAT DO THESE MANIFES-TOES THE NEWS EVERY DAY. WE KNOW WE SHOULD WE DON’T HAVE ANY TIME TO LOSE. YET WE THE SIMPLEST FHINGS. WE DON’T WANT TO NOT RELINQUISH OUR WAY OF LIFE. WE ALL 55/05
Colofon Bnieuws Volume 55 Issue 05 June 2022 Contact Room bnieuws-bk@tudelft.nlJulianalaanBG.Midden.1401342628BLDelft Editorial Team Jonas Althuis Oliwia ZuzannaSaartjeTuyenJackowskaLeNibberingSliwinskaEmilieStecher Contributors Julia JonathanKevinKorpackaLaiKaye Cover Editorial Team Printed by Druk. Tan Heck © All rights reserved. Although all content is treated with great care, errors may Bnieuws.nloccur. CONTENTS 04 Missed Takes on Gender in Architecture 08 Missteps 10 Grief or change 14 Reflections... 16 Green is the new fluffy 18 pOthOles 22 Manifesting 24 Letter to us students at BK 27 Titanium white 30 Artefact: You had one job
How many mistakes did you find in our cover?
Admitting to mistakes is something that as a student we are not trained to do so.
The next article ponders on the matter of potholes (pg.18), you know, the cracks and dips on our street, with images captured from the suburban streets in the U.S. Then, we seek for some “wisdom” from a list of manifestos in the art world (pg. 22), accompanying by an article about art forgery (pg. 24). Finally, the red pages include a personal letter for the students at BK (pg. 27), written by a fellow student who wants to question if coming to the BK was a mistake, and without any scrutiny towards the reader, they would like you to share your thoughts with them as well. Our artefact concludes with the chosen mistakes in the built environment (pg. 30), the conscious choices we as users make to modify our living spaces can be seen as a comforting note towards the permanence of the subtle building details.
Admitting that I f*cked up and taking accountability for the wrongdoings is repulsive to some individuals. We are humans, we are bound to make mistakes, and the outcomes of these mishaps are something we are not to gamble on.
MISTAKESEditorial
Transitioning from making a mistake to accepting the outcome is the only thing that we could do once all the cards are on the tables.. If this is echoing to what you have been through, then I would like to offer these anecdotes on the various aspects of the word MISTAKES.
To start things off is a reflection (pg. 4) on the Women in Architecture exhibition by Julia Korpacka, the person who hacked the display with her own interpretation of what the exhibition could have been. Then we go into an anonymous collection (pg.8) of the mistakes humans of the BK found themselves in, whether it is by choice or not, the words and drawings should open up a conversation on the true nature of making mistakes, including frustration, grievance, relief. We then transition into the stages of environmental grief (pg.10) to read and react as a case of environmental neglect, and the choices we make or not make can make an immense impact on the future. Then what about the choice we make when we seek retail therapy via new plants everytime we need a mood booster? That is when we know we are part of the movement, plant ladies are the new cat ladies (pg.16).
We hope that with this issue, we can wrap up the 55th year of bnieuws with some introspection and becoming more vulnerable to changes in the climate around us. It is time to face our own truth and embrace what makes us human.
To watch / EL BUEN PATRÓN 'Hard work, balance, loyalty' - is the motto of charismatic factory owner Julio Blanco, who runs a business producing industrial scales. When the company gets A chance to win a prize Blanco is faced with the imperfections of the facade. In order to win the prize everything has to be perfect, and it surely Inisn’t.this black comedy, written by himself, director Fernando León de Aranoa shows with a keen eye what it is like in the workplace. There are no heroes, there are no villains, there are just worn-out labour Nowrelations.inmovie theatres: Pathé Buitenhof (The Hague), KINO (Rotterdam), Filmhallen (Amsterdam).
To visit / HUIDENCLUB
To read / IN PRAISE OF SHADOWS by Junichiro Tanizaki Tanizaki investigates the distinctive architectural standards of Japan and their sharp contrast with the value systems of the industrialised West. A fundamental cultural polarity lies at the heart of this philosophy. Unlike the Western concept of beauty, which is a stylized fantasy created by airbrushing reality into a narrow and illusory ideal of perfection, The summit of Japanese aesthetics is profoundly based in the wonderful imperfection of the present moment and its tie to the stories of the past.
The Huidenclub is a new experimental facility dedicated to modern cultural creation and exhibition. The Huidenclub, which takes its name from its original use as a tannery, is envisioned as a forum for a diverse range of voices and storylines discussing relevant contemporary issues. Pelgrimsstraat 5C, 3029 BH www.instagram.com/huidenclub/Rotterdam
02 #Bnieuwd
#Bnieuwd
Don't forget to check out our WEBSITE bnieuws.nl You'll find all the old issues in the archive, for hours of reading pleasure! Follow us on INSTAGRAM for updates @bnieuws
A conversation with Floor Milikowski, social geographer and city planner, on the power of community and the invisible policy makers in the suburbs of Amsterdam. In various places in the city local residents are taking matters into their own hands.They know the neighbourhood and it’s residents better and longer than anyone else and develop plans to promote or maintain the closeness of the neighbourhood.The future of super diverse cities, argues Floor Milikowski,lies precisely here,where it is bursting with young,ambitious artists,entrepreneurs and social workers.Strengthened by the communities from which they come,they join forces - for a more equal future,where no one is forgotten.From the women’s networks in the Bijlmer to the social entrepreneurs in Nieuw-West: it is a widespread phenomenon that reveals a new social dynamic.
Artis, Plantage Middenlaan, 1018 CZ Amsterdam To listen / ATHENEUM BOEKHANDEL
In the museum of big questions, you’re invited to go on discovery with your body as starting point. This includes lots of buttons to press, things to try out, games to play, mistakes to make and things to discover. You gaze into a mirror and understand more and more about yourself. Plants, other creatures, and even bacteria have similarities. What can we learn from this form of trial and error, i.d. biological evolution?
Available on Soundcloud
Episode: over Wij zijn de stad (We are the city)
To do / HET MUSEUM VAN GROOTE VRAGEN
03
04 Words and Images Julia Korpacka MISSED TAKES ON GENDER IN ARCHITECTURE
The webpage of the organisers, a student association, explained that through the exhibition they ‘want to seek the controversy and hope to spark the discussion’ (sic!). A part of the display, for example, included interactive parts asking to vote for whether a man or a woman designed certain
Pen Pal
The picture of the intervention on the stairway: Charlotte Perriand over Le Corbusier and Lily Reich instead of Mies van der Rohe >
While there is a consensus on what sex means, the issues of gender are perceived to be a more complex and fragile territory to step on. I suppose it is easily digestible and comprehensible to bring everything down to sex – the need for more women architects, issues of pay gaps and underrepresentation can be efficiently translated into tables and pie charts which are, of course, much needed to bring attention and look for tangible solutions. The resultant problem is, however, that the conversation about gender in the mainstream discourse of our profession often dwindles, and eventually stops around there. The unasked questions that remain are: Why does it matter? Does the sex of the designer play such a huge role in the type of architecture that they produce? Or, perhaps, there is more to gender than what the eye sees? (there obviously is, so please bear with me) If we understand the profession of architecture only as an art of building ‘four walls and a roof’, very little compassion is left for the art of curating. The act of assembling information and pieces of evidence, be it art or else, on a particular topic to raise attention and pose questions, gets little attention from the product-oriented minds. But aren’t we taught to provide solutions?; an architecture student might ask. Well, how can you provide a solution if you don’t know what the question is?
I recently took the liberty to temporarily modify a part of an exhibition organised at our faculty. This is a reflection on why I did it and what I learned from this about uninvited practice. What do we talk about when we talk gender in architecture?
The issues of gender, feminism and representation in architecture are immensely important topics and I must say I was happy to see that there is (some) initiative to ‘display and discuss’ these matters among the students and staff at TU Delft Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment. A particular take on that was recently on show in the public spaces of our faculty – if you were there you could not have missed it (contrary to other initiatives – the Architect and her Drawing exhibition was on display for about a week around the Easter weekend and the Architect’s Patriarchy Berlage lecture was [in] conveniently scheduled for the 24th of December 2021). Posters and photographs were displayed on the stairs and in the corridors in a timber + cardboard way which resembled, at least to me, protest signs, aiming to tackle the topic of Gender in Architecture.
06 buildings (for example a high-end contemporary residential villa). I admit I have not yet seen an exhibition in the BK which would have triggered more discussion among my near and far colleagues – in this, I must say it was very successful. Many students whom I talked to were quite disappointed with one of the most prominently displayed parts of the exhibition – a series of portraits of famous architects on the staircase, which (if I am not mistaken) were ‘borrowed’ from the existing display in another part of the faculty building. Encouraged by shared sentiments, I thought of building on that exhibition as a framework for producing meaningful, interactive and participative discussion, to invite a more feminist approach not only towards the content of the exhibition but also the way it was curated. With my intervention, I took the liberty to become interactive with the aforementioned part of the exposition with non-destructive means (think of it as a Photoshop mask) to spark the discussion the organisers aimed for outside of my social circle and take their seeking of controversy as an invitation to propose an alternative. We (the collective pronoun I use here represents also other students, male and female alike, who endorsed, encouraged and helped with this small happening) considered this a missed opportunity in the discussion on the underrepresentation of women (and other minorities) in architecture and the built environment. Would it not have been a lot more empowering for the students and staff to switch the narrative around and (finally) display and learn about all of these fantastic women architects who (I think we all agree on that) do not get enough attention in profession and pedagogy? My temporary edit of the display was, therefore, a response to an invitation to start a dialogue, not only on the mere presence of women in the profession but rather on what their presence represents Being a woman (or man) does not define one’s professional position. Neither is female interchangeable with feminist. Some architects found their way in designing high-end commercial architecture; others focus on feminist writing and Preparations. From the left: Frida Escobedo, Elisabeth Diller, Kazuyo Sejima, Ray Eames, Aino Aalto, Anne Lacaton and Tatiana Bilbao
The black and white portraits of Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Norman Foster and other big names displayed on the stairs were covered with a cut-out of a female architect on a Tuesday afternoon. The selection included, but was not limited to, Charlotte Perriand, Denise Scott Brown, Matrix cooperative, Lina Bo Bardi, Yasmeen Lari, Mariam Kamara and Tatiana Bilbao. On Wednesday morning, the only sign left of them were pieces of masking tape. Once again, they were taken out of sight, out of the spotlight, as a bitter reminder. Considered an act of vandalism, this little intervention sadly did not last long enough to generate any meaningful discussion I was hoping for. Still, the speed at which it was taken down reflects, among other things, the efficiency of greater forces with which one has to deal with once taking a place uninvited. Perhaps I should have talked to the organisers first? Give suggestions and ask for permission? But is this not, very ironically and very seriously at once, what we women have been brought down to all along?
Portrait of Anne Lacaton of lacaton & vassal covering Frank Gehry
Teresa Hoskyns, Doina Petrescu and other mixed voices write that ‘it is possible to produce another quality of […] space through intervening in the power relations expressed through space. Place can simply be “taken”’. This position opens up a new range of possibilities for practising outside of the organisational constraints, in curatorship, at a university, and in the (architectural) profession. What then becomes questionable is the capacity and willingness of the organisation in question to accommodate and, if not accept, at least tolerate, productive difference.
07 social housing projects. There are both men and women on either end of this spectrum. Gender in architecture can encompass much more than representation – it can relate to discrimination by design, sensitivity to the complexity of experience, or the value of care, to mention a few. Attempting to discuss inclusivity without discussing the conditions that reproduce exclusion is pointless. Attempting to challenge the underrepresentation of women in mainstream architecture by actively reproducing the images of those (over)represented is a missed take. Can we talk about women in architecture without making it (again) about men?
Markus Miessen points out that in the current economy, as architects, we are forced to comply with the rules of the game and invites the concept of an uninvited outsider, or a crossbench practitioner, as a response, aiming to generate productive friction, relevance and responsibility.
2. Teresa Hoskyns, Taking place and altering it. In: Doina Petrescu (ed.) Altering Practices: Feminine Politics and Poetics of Space (London and New York: Routledge, 2007), 25-26
1. Markus Miessen, The Nightmare of Participation (Berlin: Sternberg Press, 2010)
08 FEELING ASHAMED TO WEAR SANDALS LEAVING THE POT OF GLUE OPEN IN MY BAG HELPFORASKNOT GOT INTO THE WRONG TOILET NO
TOOKELSE'SSOMEONEDRINK BUYING THE MODELLINGPRICIERMATERIAL
Questionable, that for sure. But the real question is, what will happen when we let go of our safe box and start experimenting in the field of failing? How about shifting how we perceive our mistakes, to accepting it as extremenly human-like behaviour?
FOREVERYTHINGMISTAKES,HAPPENSAREASONMYEXES
When we strive for perfection, we actually exclude to some extent an idea of realness. We know for damn sure we ourselves as humans aren't perfect, but how come we still keep a taboo on making a mistake? We almost develop a certain amount of distrust when an object is seen as flawless as well as a certain amount of disconnection from reality when we try to reach it. Only the problem arises when we unconsciously live in the boundaries of perfectionism. We set up a box for ourselves whereas we're allowed to experiment, however we're scared to death to make a misstep. The average student has developed a certain amount of resilience. Which is needed to not go into full self-blaming-mode when we get a redo, but instead, pick it up with grace.
Words
So let me urge one thing: everybody makes mistakes, and it's completely normal and part of the process of learning. As a remember this page is filled with mistakes made by people like you, and I.
Saartje Nibbering MISSTEPSBKReports
09 MUCHDRINKINGTOOLASTWEEK BEING BORN INTO THIS WORLD MYNOTTAKINGCAREOFMENTALHEALTHEVERYTIME I DON'T FOLLOW MY GUT ''BY GETTING ON THE WRONG TRAIN, ONLY TO REALISE IT ONE HOUR LATER'' FORGOT MY MOUSEFORGOT TO SLEEP BOOK WRONGTHEFLIGHT WORK BEIJINGIN GOING TO GRAD FOLLOWINGBOUGHTSCHOOLTHEWRONGBUSTICKETSTHECROWD NOT SPEAKING MY MISTAKENMINDATEACHERFORASTUDENT''CALCULATING ONE NIGHT WAS ENOUGH TO MAKE A MODEL FROM SCRATCH''
When I think back to my teenage years everything seemed careless. It was not denying the climate emergency but rather being oblivious about it. In the lunch break my friends and I would go to the city center of my town exploring the latest fashion of h&m, mango and co. It didn’t really come to my mind that the consequences of even the smallest action that transcended my town, my country or my continent were my responsibility. Buying became traveling – and taking one hour flights from Amsterdam to Zurich were more convenient than going the extra mile by train. The decision was easy even though I knew it wasn’t good for the environment, because flying was and still is cheap and fast – and besides that I loved the feeling of being pushed into the seat at take-off.
We all know about it. It’s in the news every day. We know we should change our behavior and we know we don’t have any time to lose. Yet we still don’t manage to give up on the simplest things. We don’t want to lose our privileges and for sure not relinquish our way of life. We all know that we live in abundance, that overconsumption is not good for our planet with limited resources. Our habits are draining the Earth of its energy. So the question remains how can we change? How can we let go? And will this help us to finally enter a phase where we are not exploitative to our home anymore?
Climate emergency is strongly demanding us to change our behavior - the sooner we do it the better. As in many turning points in our life when we need to step out of our comfort zone we are confronted with fear. Fear of change and leaving behind our loved ones, fear of failure. But instead of being afraid of making a mistake we may have to just start doing the first step. I want to argue that the process of changing our behavior and our perception of the climate emergency is comparable to the Kübler-Ross model of grief and its five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance – which I all found to be present in my personal journey of acceptance and change.
Although I knew I was doing unnecessary harm to the planet, I couldn’t help it. I had the choice of taking a different mode of transport, the choice of relinquishment but I didn’t want to give up my comfort. Why was I supposed to change while the whole world is Why was I supposed to change while the whole world is acting the same?
10 GRIEF OR CHANGE
From the editors Words Emilie Stecher
in Amsterdam, November 2021
Activits of Extinction at the climate protest
11
I started asking myself every time I was in a shop holding a desired object in my hands: Do I really need it or do I only want it? acting the same? I felt like changing my way of life would cost me my freedom and that upset me. I didn’t want to change and no one could tell me to do so.
Around that time my sister decided to take one year where she limited her consumption to only what was essential for living. She has always been the activist of our family. Already at the age of eight she was corresponding with Nestlé and demanded them to justify their actions of privatizing water as well as exploiting people and the planet. It was she who inspired me with her relentless devotion to question my ways of consumption. I started asking myself every time I was in a shop holding a desired object in my hands: Do I really need it or do I only want it? Is it necessity or greed thriving me? After facing these
Rebellion
Taking action can help overcome climate anxiety, Amsterdam November 2021 (Alexandra Coutsoucos)
12 first challenges of self honesty it turned out I barely needed anything I desired in the first place. I had enough shirts and trousers, enough shoes and jewelry. I didn’t need new sunglasses and also my phone was totally fine although it wasn't the newest. The question of necessity changed my relationship with consumption. And funnily enough it didn’t feel like I was missing out on something, on the contrary, I felt some sort of liberation. I escaped the claws of advertisement and capitalism. This made me feel like I was already contributing to the solution of the crisis. I changed my life-style and it was actually not that hard – I had hope. Then I started to learn about the real conditions of our planet. How bad it was really doing. I was diving into lectures, books, videos and discussions with others. This phase was hard and very painful. Once you know what your impact on the world is, once you really have internalized it, there is no way to ever forget about it again. I remember one specific moment around one year ago: After arriving back home from a long series of lectures on the Anthropocene and its effect on the Earth and its human and especially non-human inhabitants, I thought about the uncertainty of our future and the paralysis and inaction all people in power seem to be in. Looking out of the window my body got endlessly heavy and there was pressure on my chest that made it hard to breathe. I felt powerless – that there was nothing that I could do to ever make a difference. Any of my actions would vanish like a drop of water on a hot surface. Calling my climate-advocate friend in despair, I explained how small and paralyzed I felt. She remembered having the same feelings when she started exposing herself to the climate emergency. Climate anxiety is a common feeling and it helps to talk about it. We shouldn’t make ourselves feel responsible for everything, my friend told me. It’s important to look after our mental health for it’s our source of energy. Try to find positive moments and take some breaks from thinking about it, consciously giving space to something good. This will help to find the strength to continue, because the fight we're in is not a sprint, but a marathon. Try to find positive moments and take some breaks from thinking about it, consciously giving space to something good.This will help to find the strength to continue,because the fight we're in is not a sprint,but a marathon.
13
denial see talk be inspired learn inspire letting go choice reflect hopehear influencedangerby people bargainingeducationdepression acceptance
So while suffering from anxiety I still knew that there was no way back. I had to let go. What I had to let go of was hope. There was no point in holding on to the past or solutions that may never come. The only way forward is to not rely on something to happen. It may seem odd to give up hope but I realized that people may never change. That the system may never change. So I stopped relying my actions on someone else’s because holding on to it would only hold me back. So I let go of hope. And when I did that it freed my mind. The reason I am doing or not doing something now is not for my own sake anymore, it is for all the ones who don’t get to have a choice – humans and non-humans alike. It has been a long and challenging journey. But by accepting and letting go we have the possibility to repair the damage that has already been done. Embracing the inevitable future helps to overcome the paralysis of uncertainty. If we can not fight the situation we may as well be prepared for what is yet to come. Maybe we all have to go through those different stages of grief, taking the time to mourn about the state of the Earth and the loss of our current way of life so that we eventually can let it go. It may seem as if we cannot make a difference but by not relying on someone else and doing it for the ones who don’t have a voice, in a neo-liberal and western-centered world, the final stage of acceptance can lead us into action. Especially we, as designers, have the possibilities and tools to spark the movement. We can create images of a different future, a new way of living. We can inspire change. The only way forward is to not rely on something to happen.It may seem odd to give up hope but I realized that people may never change.That the system may never change.
Perceptions and influences during the different stages of grief in light of the climate emergency.
Was there any situation that you considered a mistake that turned out to be good for you?
With the academic year coming to an end, the editorial team is inviting you to reflect on these past months to recognise and appreciate things that we might overlook on a day-to-day basis, as we are all waiting impatiently for the summer break!
First question: are you happy with the time spent at university this year? What lessons have you learned from last year and how have they impacted you? Would you change anything that you did, considering it a mistake?
14 REFLECTING...Fromtheeditors
Who has been impacted by your mistakes? If you get a chance to share your resolution, what is your approach to finding closure?
What will you definitely do next year? And what are you excited for?
Considering the positive and negative implications, if you had a superpower to change the past, would you still do it differently?
Keep an eye out on our instagram page @bnieuws, where we will share our answers to these mistakesthemed questions. If you'd like, please also share your reflections.
15
Were you on the receiving end of a mistake someone made, and how did you handle it?
The best way to evade disappointment is to research and buy plants which require the amounts of sunlight and humidity that you can provide in your room or house. Any newly bought plants should be kept apart from the other ones for a few weeks to make sure that no new disease spreads on your regular bunch.
16
We all know it - plants are our babies, pets and best friends. You take care of them and they take care of you when you are feeling lonely or having a bad day. Here are a few mistakes to avoid to keep your green friends alive!
Very often we find ourselves coming home with five (or five bags of) new houseplants after having a difficult day or wanting to celebrate a successful presentation at the end of the quarter. But then, a few weeks later, a heavy tear drops down your cheek as you have to throw away another totally ravaged and hence murdered plant that you tried to save to no avail. There are a few things to look out for when we are taking care of plants. Firstly, remember to water them regularly, but watch out not to overwater. You can check the soil with a moisture meter or just your finger to know if it is time to water or not yet. Overwatering is one of the deadliest mistakes for all plants. Another important point is to not spray leaves with water, especially at night to fend-off humidity-loving pests or right before the sun hits their leaves to avoid burns on the exposed surfaces. However, it is helpful to wipe the leaves of larger plants regularly to keep an eye out for these pests and give some nice love to your green babies.
From the editors Words Oliwia Jackowska Images Zuzanna Sliwinska
As long as you enjoy the process and give your plants the time and attention that they need, you will have a house full of them chilling in the sun, playing with a wool ball and swinging their long vines by your arm, being the new cats and displaying their satisfaction with your efforts.
<
I have been walking amongst the neighborhoods and downtowns of American suburban communities and am noticing the frequency of cracks, potholes, and aging-in-place of infrastructure. These are things we (the user) view as mistakes or imperfections, but the manufacturer and maintenance crew expects. They are known obsolescences which come with time, yet we are surprised anew when we trip on a crack or drive over a hole. I am curious if these have a purpose beyond the physical phenomena which shaped them.
The different types of potholes in Barlington, Illinois, USA.
19
In my suburban American community, this question rears its head daily as I traverse infrastructure in varying states of disassemblage. As I transit, my encounters with cracks and bumps are not unexpected, isolated events, but a widespread, known obsolescence which comes with time. Yet despite the professional expectations by maintenance crews and the personal expectations borne of a lifetime of experience, I am surprised each time I stumble on a pothole.
POTHOLESPenpal
If they are the result of expansion and contraction, heavy vehicular / friction use, and normal wear and tear, then they may represent how society deems fixing them as more annoying or resource consuming than the problem itself. Yet potholes could also represent how we view the world — as inevitable, as part of a continually aging physical infrastructure, as temporary. We often proselytise our inability to expect the unexpected…. Yet what do we do when the unexpected is entirely expected?
I often view these as imperfections in the potential of the built environment, but they can have a purpose beyond the physical phenomena which shaped them. Do potholes simply represent the degradation of a single surface — or are they representative of an entire category of civil services deemed more resource-intensive than the problem itself? Are potholes emblematic of the inevitability of life and a continually ageing physical infrastructure? Could their imperfections be integral to the reinforcement of our own Seasontemporality?byseason, cracks begin to form in our walls and streets. Pavements heave as the ground shifts and retreats. Potholes germinate and then are nurtured by the cycle of expansion and contraction. The places we prefer — the ones we heavily circulate — are
Words and Images Jonathan Kaye
In our minds, each road, bridge, parking lot, and sidewalk begins its life with the possibility of new access, faster transit, and safer commutes. Yet, as the momentum of these ideas rushes from paper to construction and from abstract to reality, the sheen of our dreams simultaneously begins to tarnish. As the requirements of realism and use become clear, so do the innate weaknesses of the systems we use to organise our world. These systems require constant maintenance, lest they become unruly. Yet to manage disorder, rules must be imposed. Some items must be addressed first, with an applied Sincehierarchy.thefrequency of the pothole suggests a predictable state of disrepair, then there must also be a tool for its repair. After all, if every pathway designed for transit throughout history is notably pockmarked by environmental and user wear-and-tear, then we ought to have a strategy for mitigating them. In a better designed world, there might be self-healing roadways or pothole-proof tires, but in reality, we owe each imperfection with individual/unique attention . This process often requires the very physical act of a labourer packing new material into each void left by time. Then, this fresh patch is left to patina as its own object — unique in its shape, colour, and place. Over time, our streets and sidewalks can become a series of objects — a gallery of time and place recording the memory and selectivity of labour.
Each summer, I watch children ball up the tar from the cracks in the road and disassemble the adhesive holding our city together. Each winter, I watch snow trucks apply abrasive salts and heavy plows to these surfaces — pushing them to their limits. There is a ticking clock to every repair. Not only will each repair require repair, but the underlying system demands comprehensive review periodically. The demands are incessant on our surroundings and on us, pushing us to innovate solutions for resilience and some sort of permanence. Yet these cannot truly be, for the infrastructure of our lives is beholden to time. Our built environment and our personal circumstances are guaranteed to change. Some potholes are temporary — easily avoided and easily mended. But others are deep, wide, and easy to fall into when distractions and pressure mount. From the rut on your way to class just deep enough to catch your bike tire to the nagging feeling you do not know enough, potholes can seem to strike at our most vulnerable moment. Yet the heaving pavements of our hearts — those insecurities and failures which seem to catch us time and time again — are not predestined to be destructive. We control the keys to their existence and their effects.
20 the most vulnerable to the nonphysical elements, as gravity weighs down their texture, and as time weathers their appearances.
Potholes can be infilled with surfaces bearing the remnants of their former presence. Potholes can be avoided with premeditated way finding or last minute swerves. Potholes can even be fallen into time and time again, surprising us with their stubborn insistence. Yet these are not mistakes, rather they are moments to reset, learn, and begin anew. They are embedded and inevitable and are defined far more by our responses than by our susceptibility. No matter their form or frequency, potholes do not prevent us from taking the step after the stumble.
Jonathan is an architecture student at Iowa State University (ISU) and student affiliate of the AIA. He is also a contributor to Iowa State College of Design’s architectural publication Datum
21
To get rid of these artifacts is to pretend everything is perfect, but I’m not sure if the mistake lies in the pothole existing as evidence of the world’s imperfections or if the mistake is just an empty hole with no meaning beyond that. Does the ability to fix them erase time, increase convenience, or just cost money?
Their power is focused and limited, uncoordinated and reliant on a specific pathway.
Words Jonas Althuis
What do a variety of design manifestoes say about mistakes? Perhaps unsurprisingly, not that much. Few touch on the importance and learning to be gained from making mistakes. Perhaps it's considered a given, inherent to design and learning how to design. If nothing about mistakes, what do these manifestoes say?
Manifesto of the Staatliches Bauhaus, Walter Gropius, 1919
Architects, sculptors, painters—we all must return to craftsmanship! For there is no such thing as “art by profession”. There is no essential difference between the artist and the artisan.
Develop a curiosity, Look at things as though for the first time. Advice for students, Charles Eames, 1949
MANIFESTINGFromtheeditors
By a chance encounter I recently came across a wonderful website that has a huge collection of design manifestoes all in one place. Despite the sometimes arrogant rhetoric that manifestoes are known for, they have a certain allure -- the mystique of concisely capturing the thoughts about the current time, often accompanied by a declaration of what must happen, if the future of design is to be saved. The irony in this is unmissable; every new manifesto seemingly disregards the ones that have come before it and declares itself the new truth. So I thought, lets take a look at some of these design manifestoes and try to find the statements that actually resonate -- perhaps just with me, perhaps with being a student, perhaps with the current time. Though they are not all specifically regarding architectural design, the ideas from different fields can easily be translated. Without further ado: Nothing must intrude to blur the statement of how a space is made. The forms characterizing the great eras of architecture present themselves and tempt us to adapt them to concrete and steel.
Architecture Is the Thoughtful Making of Spaces, Louis Kahn, 1957
The words on the printed surface are taken in by seeing, not by hearing. The Topology of Typography, El Lissitzky, 1923
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Triangular Design Manifesto, (onceptual]evices:, 2002 Not saturated with manifestoes yet? Take a look at designmanifestos.org to read more; there are many great ideas I have not mentioned here.
As an obstructionist, I believe that all plans that cause harm must be stopped.
Make mistakes faster.
Ten principles for good design, Dieter Rams, 1970s
Conditional Design: A Manifesto for Artists and Designers, Luna Maurer, Edo Paulus, Jonathan Puckey, Roel Wouters, 2008 Good design is honest, It does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.
I believe that the Hippocratic Oath, “First do no harm,” while it applies to medicine, also applies to city planning, particularly when those plans impact our waterfront.
This isn't my idea -- I borrowed it. I think it belongs to Andy Grove. An Incomplete Manifesto for Growth, Bruce Mau, 1998 Process.
The process is the product. The most important aspects of a process are time, relationship and change. The process produces formations rather than forms.
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The Obstructionist Manifesto, Mark Goldman, 2010 Design is everything. Anything could be designed. Everyone is a designer.
Many areas outside traditional building will enter the realm of architecture, as architecture and “architects” will have to enter new fields. Everything Is Architecture, Hans Hollein, 1968 Obsolescence, whether based on fashion or real change, will have radical implications. Our buildings will have to be planned for flexibility so that they can change, grow and adapt. Design for Living, Norman Foster, 1969 What is good design is what communicates best in an original way, even though it doesn’t conform to our preconceptions of good design. No image or color or typeface is always good or always bad. What makes it good is if it’s the best image or color or typeface that says exactly what you want to say. Otherwise Forget It, Bob Gill, 2009
A true architecture of our time will have to redefine itself and expand its means.
In some ways, emulating the piece by long-gone art idols like Rembrandt can be perceived as the greatest form of flattery. Fascinated by the mythical capabilities of the artist’s hand, art forgers depart on a journey of artist’s reincarnation and channelling supernatural ability to translate imaginary onto the canvas through their own hands. However, this incredible skill is considered fraudulent craftsmanship and a punishable career path by law. What mistakes do art forgers make on their way to the masterpiece (aka a fake) which expose their activities to the eyes of authorities? At the same time, why are we so obsessed with originals condemning the masters of copy-making and what does it reveal about our relationship with art?
24 TITANIUM WHITE
As an aspiring architecture student raised in Eastern Europe, drawing classes were inscribed into my teenagehood with the same strength as Taylor Swift’s “You belong to me”. I spent hours sketching, drawing and imitating others’ work to train my own gesture to a level of perfection observed in art pieces I would painstakingly copy during long Saturday nights. My first copy happened to be a “Girl with a pearl earring” by Johannes Vermeer from Delft. Destiny, you might say! Personally, never being able to reach the mastery required to set me on the fine art success path, I constrained this activity to solely educational and leisurely purposes. There are, however, those who committed their lives to the craft, and this is a short story about their place in the unforgiving world of art. With 20 percent of the paintings in major art galleries worldwide being questioned on their authenticity1 and 50 percent of pieces available on the market suspected to be fake2, art historians and forensic scientists have developed tools for validating a work of art. Beginning with establishing the history of the painting’s ownership from its current custody back to the moment when the original artist’s brush stroked the canvas for the last time; through visual and x-ray analysis questioning the style and consistency of painters’ techniques; ending with forensic scrutiny in detecting chemical substances present in the piece. Despite this meticulousness, most respected galleries worldwide, such as MoMA in New York or British National Gallery in London, continue to unravel more and more fakes in their collections. Sometimes, however, mistakes are made by the forgers, shining a light on yet another art mystery. Most recently, the art world has held its breath when announced by the media as the ‘forger of the century’ Wolfgang Beltracchi from Germany had been captured together
From the editors
Words & Images Zuzanna Sliwinska
Of course, we can argue that the act of copying in itself doesn’t require the level of creative genius some of the artists possess to establish their own style, hence doesn’t deserve much awe. That isn’t, however, my main point. Instead, I would like to highlight not the status of the painting as forged or original but rather our obsession with the idea of originality which has drawn a fine line between crime and a careful act of restoration.
25 with his wife as an accomplice. He had not only created identical copies of original works but had genuinely immersed himself into the life of a deceased expressionist painter from the first half of the 20th century - Heinrich Campendonk, and channelled his unique style onto 50 new pieces. The mistake that ended his career turned out to be a microscopic amount of titanium white - the paint that simply did not yet exist at the time the painting was dated for. Was it a moment of laziness, or maybe simple negligence in a moment or rush? Nevertheless, I would like to contemplate for a moment those minuscule mistakes committed by art forgers, which highlight an interesting relationship we have with art today. Seconds before the discovery of titanium white, millions of us, art laics, admired and nodded our heads in approval to the unspeakable beauty of the piece. Specialists declared their compliments and treated it with the utmost respect and care as any other multi-million original Campendonk. In the moment of discovery, the bubble of admiration burst and the value of the painting diminished to solely evidence in an act of crime. The mastery of precise strokes didn't impress anymore but rather provoked contempt for the forger himself and, now worthless, frameless object.
Left: graphic on Red picture with horses - a forged piece by Wolfgang Beltracchi stylised for Heinrich Campendonk's work.
In fact, we barely ever look at historical artefacts in their original state as pieces stored at the museums and galleries, (especially) paintings require high-level restoration and, in their fragile state, are almost entirely re-painted using the exact same medium and techniques as the artist him- or herself. The tag remains ‘original’. Naturally, the procedure is justified by the act of pure historical preservation of the piece but doesn’t it also shine some light on our preference towards perfection, authenticity, and maybe a level of disgust and critique towards decay and imperfection?
Images from:
2. Artnet News. Over 50 Percent of Art is Fake. Artnet News. 2014
1. Glover, Michael. The Big Question: How many paintings in our public museums are fakes?. Independent. 2010.
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Right: graphic on An Old Man in an Armchair - the piece discovered in the National Gallery collection in London, UK, believed to be a forged imitation of Rembrandt’s work created by an unknown student.
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Words & Images Saartje Nibbering
31 YOU HAD ONE JOB
Artefact
Hypothetically, if one of your design's would to be build, what would be the ThankGod-my-teacher-saved-me-from-making-this-mistake mistake? We all have made some bad choices in design and deeply regretted afterwards and blamed them on our lack of sleep or focus while putting it on paper/screen. Lucky for us, most of us are still students, so we're allowed to make mistakes with the twisted aim of actually tripping over them and in the end: improve. However, not everyone is getting these second chances, and before they know it their mistake has become a real life attribute in a rouring city, where it is admired by the everyday reproving eye of the analyst in the crowd, judging: ''you had one job''.
Sometimes the mistake is a cover-up for something even worse. Or, someone was just not having their day. So let's try not to judge, and approach these mistakes as lessons and blessings to become a better designer, thanks to the failure and growth of others. We're allowed to smirk tho ;)
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BECOME A PEN PAL! NEXT DREAMSCAPESISSUE: We are always searching for new voices to join and contribute to Bnieuws. Whether your talents are in writing, drawing, photography, graphic design, or you’re filled with a range of skills, we would love to hear from you if you have any ideas for the faculty periodical. If you would like to be on our contributors list, simply send an email with your ideas to: bnieuws-BK@tudelft.nl or sign up on our website: bnieuws.nl/contact I Have a Dream is arguably one of the most momentous statements in human history. Its power lies in the hope and promise that the words bring. And while dreaming of alternative reality lifts hearts and brings change, the imaginary also creates a safe haven, provides an escape. The utopias or distopias that enter our conscience at night or during the day might sometimes express our deepest desires and greatest fears. What are you dreaming about now and what are you dreaming of for your future? See you in a few Bnieuwsmonths!56/01 due September 2022. WHAT DO A LOSESTILLCHANGESAY?HOWTAKES.FEWMANIFESTOESRIVEALWITHTOTHEIRPUNISHABLEER,TRANSPLATENEYMITICALCANSOMELYHOWHABITSOVERCONSAMPTIONRELINQUISHSIMPLESTDON’TNEWSTAKES,INCHERENTINGUNSURPRISINGLY,WARIETYTOBEGAINEDTOWHATEVERYDAY.HAVEANYTHINGS.OURARECANWECHANGE?ENTERAFAZEWAYS,EMULATINGBEPERCEIVEDCAPABILITIESOFARTIST’SIMAGINARYTHISINCREDIBLECAREERWEITOTHEHANDSORIGINALSABOUTTAOCHONPERHAPSTODESIGN.WEALLOURDON’TMANAGEOURPRIVILEGES
WHAT DO A WARIETY OF DESIGN MANIFES-TOES UNSURPRISINGLY, NOT THAT MUCH. FEW TOUCH ING TO BE GAINED FROM MAKING MISTAKES. INCHERENT TO DESIGN AND LEARNING HOW TAKES, WHAT DO THESE MANIFESTOES SAJ? NEWS EVERY DAY. WE KNOW WE SHOULD CHANGE DON’T HAVE ANY TIME TO LOOZE. YET WE STILL SIMPLEST THINGS. WE DON’T WANT TO LOSE RELINQUISH OUR WAY OF LIFE. WE ALL KNOW OVERCONSAMPTION IS NOT GOOD FOR OUR HABITS ARE DRAINING THE EARPH OF ITS HOW CAN WE CHANGE? HOW CAN WE LET GO? LY ENTER A FAZE WHERE WE ARE NOT EXPLOITATIVE SOME WAYS, EMULATING THE PIECE BI LONG-GONE CAN BE PERCEIVED ASS THE GREATEST MITICAL CAPABILITIES OF THE ARTIST’S NEY OF ARTIST’S REINCARNATION AND CHANELING TRANSPLATE IMAGINARY ONTO THE CANVAS ER, THIS INCREDIBLE SKIL IS CONSIDERED PUNISHABLE CAREER PATH BY LAW. WHAT THEIR WEI TO THE MASTERPIECE AKA A TO THE HANDS OF AUTHORITIES? AT THE WITH ORIGINALS CONDAMNING THE MASTERS RIVEAL ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MANIFESTOES SAY ABOUT MISTAKES? PERHAPS FEW TAOCH ON THE IMPORTANCE AND LEARNING TAKES. PERHAPS IT'S CONSIDERED A GIWEN, HOW TO DESIGN. IF NOTHING ABOUT MISTAKES, SAY? WE ALL KNOW EBOUT IT. IT’S IN THE CHANGE OUR BEHAVIOR AND WE KNOW WE STILL DON’T MANAGE TO GIVE UP ON THE LOSE OUR PRIVILEGES AND FOR SURE NOT INDEPENDENT PERIODICAL OF THE FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT TU DELFT VOLUME 55 ISSUE 05 Bnieuws