Novel Natures Within Itself

from Changzhe Xu Worksamples 2023

by Changzhe Xu

The New Old Toy

a study of monumentality and homunculus nature

701 Design Studio IV - University of Pennsylvania Fall 2022

In collaboration with: Cherie Wan

Instructor: Simon Kim

Site Location: Los Angeles

There is an architecture that travels Los Angeles. It collects and it curates. The following series of referenced works are formulated solely by this homunculi. Its emergence in the landscape of Los Angeles’ urban fabric began its role as a collector. As it traverses across disparate environments, it collects human waste materials that makes up its own body and functioning system. The body is an incubator for a new world.

As it accumulates material, new hybrid environments are created until it longer has the capacity for it. When it reaches this state of death, it deposits new hybrid environments where novel natures are ultimately curated. Through the lens of it, we are reminded that we must find new, critical ways to reflect on the architecture and monuments we have inherited and to imagine those we have yet to build.

Monument

Formerly objects placed in space by selected groups of individuals that impose narratives intended to be spread as knowledge. Curated historical identifications given from single perspectives despite paradox to larger communities.

Seen by homunculi’s as objects placed in space with no particular meaning or purpose - objects with no narrative.

Weave-in

3d-printed bio-materials using robotics

With extensive practice of printings and studies of decade and maintenance of bio-materials, a long-term intervention of installing pre-fab stations and building up sediment levels was proposed to preserve an unique bogged lake ecosystem.