Doc 1.0 on the Artistic Research

CAMILA CAIZA DUQUE

2015-2016

MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN SCENOGRAPHY

COLLECTING MEANINGFUL MATERIAL

RESEARCH UP TO NOW AND ARTISTIC VISION Coming from an architectural background, one of my main fascinations is related to space and the creation or development of an emotional atmosphere. According to my perception, one way to achieve this creation would be the combination of the skills required to design a space in architecture with the artistic sensibility of performative arts. Quoting Dr. Dorita Hannah and her Sceno – Architecture concept, the main concept would be to “Transform a building (Space) from static object to dynamic action” or in other words “Space telling a story”. Therefore, my main interest began in exploring the feedback relationship between the introspective world of an individual and his/her environment (atmosphere/external world). As well as the connection between art, identity and culture reflected on the psychological and emotional values attributed to personal and surrounding objects. This interest began with the exploration of objects, not being them the main focus, but just a medium. The main focus was on the stories behind them, which guided me to a fascination on how a person creates his or her own microatmosphere and how space reflects part of this rich interior world (related to a specific environment composed by different elements) to an audience. Hence, one of my main questions is how to tell a story through space? Based on that question one of the main elements at my work, a part from space, would be the narrative, coming from a theater text, any fictional or real story or the space itself.

Additionally, both the space and the narrative must be grounded or guided by the initial question about the feedback relationship between the introspective world of an individual and his/her exterior environment. Being this subject a complex one, it was necessary to attach a more specific concept into it, reflecting one of the main qualities of this question and one which also was intrinsically related to the human interior world. This concept was reduced to a single word: Ambiguity (properly related to every aspect of human´s lives). Consequently, the next step of this artistic research was the generation of scale models of spaces in which the concept of ambiguity would be present. Also, regarding the design of these spaces, a research on architectural skins was another interesting element to be added, apart from the narrative and the movement. Therefore, my current research interest is based on the development of performative spaces integrating architectural skin (textures related to the background from space), space itself

(as a three dimensional element) plus movement (as an action), everything guided or generated within a context or a situation (narrative).

QUESTIONS During the beginning of the artistic research some relevant questions appeared and in order to get a bigger picture about the research it is important to start with the basis. Some of the most significant ones were: How the psychological process of attributing emotional features to material things works? How empathy works? How to create this kind of space where these stories will make people reflect or tremble on their own perspectives, preconceptions or daily life? All of these questions made reference to the subject of an introspective world being reflected on a space. Since the concept has been more specified and translated in to a character of ambiguity, also some other questions must come out. The most important are: How to challenge the concept of the ambiguous nature of human essence into a space? Which elements are related to an ambiguous space in terms of performativity potential? How time works in an ambiguous reality? How spectators could be guided by space into a specific reflection?

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The concept of ambiguity is extremely related to a character of duality and multiplicity, also it is quite close to concepts like contrast and perspective. For that reason one of the main objectives of my research during this semester is to connect the concept of ambiguity with a performative potential, figuring out the way to generate situations that can create a performative experience within the frame of multiple spaces reflecting ambiguity. Additionally, besides connecting the ambiguity into a performative – situational frame, a materialization of this concept must be achieved into a space with a certain quality of architectural skin.

In order to achieve these objectives, there are some activities to do. First, it is important to get a deep understanding of the theoretical, philosophical and practical concept of ambiguity. Then to relate and filter the idea of ambiguity into specific fields or elements. Afterwards, to experiment designing and creating scale models with different approaches to the main concept into a specific field (For example: nature, death, love, human condition, etc.). The next step would be to analyze multiple elements regarding the composition of the possible

installation, like the architectural skins, the situations, the narratives, the movements or spaces. All of this in order to create an archive or collection in which the artistic research up to the moment could be shown. The archive would be composed by elements like: scale models, images, sounds or any other element regarding the central concept.

TIMEFRAME The timeframe of this process should be directly attached to the activities in relation to the artistic research. Considering one of the main activities of the process the recollection of material reflecting the concept of ambiguity or being a source of inspiration regarding that subject, it would be necessary to create an specific time to collect this material. But also, it is quite important to maintain the creation of spatial scale models in which this inspiration material can be translated into a performative space. Therefore, there will be seven weeks until the last week of April, in which my proposal is to alternate between every other week with the recollection of material and the creation of spatial models. (14th of March – 29th of April). After the recollection of the material and the production of several models, I would like to focus on working deeper on the same models and perhaps the creation of some other models on the basis of the previous ones.

Helping to clarify or improve the ideas presented in the first stage of the process.

While working on this it would be necessary to start thinking, planning and designing the building up of an installation space based on the artistic research.

(9th of May – 3rd of June). During the last period all the material recollected must be organized into the creation of a proper archive of all the artistic process. Also, there should be a piece of space or installation reflecting the investigation and the work done. (June).

SOURCES AND REFERENCES Peter Zumthor, Atmospheres, 2006, pdf. / Dorita Hannah, Building Babel, 2003, pdf. / Dorita Hannah, Sceno-Architecture, 2011, pdf. / Simone de Beauvoir, The ethics of Ambiguity, 1947, pdf. / Briginshaw, Transforming City Spaces and Subjects, pdf. / Susan L. Foster, Movement´s contagion: the kinesthetic impact of performance, pdf / Josephine Machon, (Syn) aesthetics Redefining Visceral Performance, pdf.