ABPL30069: Installations and Happenings A4_Analysis Essay 1025314_Matthew Guan Lin Huang
Introduction This essay is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for third level design elective subject Installations and Happenings from the University of Melbourne. The main component of the submission is in the form of group-collaborated creative project and presented to the class in November. 14th, 2020. This essay is a detailed documentation, analysis, and reflection of our group’s event proposal #looking4animals focused on representing animal exploitation in industrial practices to the public and create social discussion about animal ethics and animal rights. Hence, demonstrates how installations and happenings can address environmental issues and raise the public’s awareness to ecocentrism for a sustainable future. This will be structured by first introducing history and identifying challenges of installations and happenings in contemporary context. Secondly, explaining our reasons and methods for the event proposal. And lastly reflecting on our design outcome and considerations for the future. 1
History and Challenges
(UPPER) FIGURE 1. JAMIE SQUIRE, OLYMPIC GAMES OPENING CEREMONY, 2012. PHOTOGRAPHY. HTTPS://ENTERTAINMENT.HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM/OLYMPIC-OPENING-CEREMONIES.HTM (LOWER) FIGURE 2. DANIELE MATTIOLI, UK PAVILION FOR SHANGHAI WORLD EXPO, 2010. PHOTOGRAPHY. HTTPS://WWW.ARCHDAILY.COM/58591/UK-PAVILION-FOR-SHANGHAI-WORLD-EXPO-2010-HEATHERWICKSTUDIO/UKPAVILIONSH0017
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From the grand and massive Olympics Game’s opening ceremony, pavilion design for World Expo to a domestic decorative sculpture, many of past and nowadays events and artworks can fall into the definition of installations and happenings. It has a long and established history and has been a creative and relatively free form for artists and designers to express their ideas. In contemporary business context, requirements and limitations are set for many of these installations and happenings which results in anthropocentric and monotonous design. The forms of traditional interpretation of installations and happenings has been developing and changing mainly around the idea of anthropocentrism including challenges such as consumerism, capitalism, commodification, education etc. One of the most common form of installations that design professionals and public can participate is pavilion. With this type of installation, designers often try to express ideas, skills, techniques and new materials to their peers or professionals in the related field. In precedent study, Driftwood pavilion proposed by Architectural Association student Danecia Sibingo was inspected. The name "Driftwood" was intended to offer a reflective, calming reminder of the inextricable connection of London to the sea, the motion of which is mirrored by the pavilion's curvilinear design.
FIGURE 3. HEIDE WESSELY, DRIFTWOOD PAVILION, 2009. PHOTOGRAPHY.HTTPS://INSPIRATION.DETAIL.DE/DRIFTWOODPAVILION-113828.HTML 3
FIGURE 4. HEIDE WESSELY, DRIFTWOOD PAVILION DETAIL, 2009. PHOTOGRAPHY.HTTPS://INSPIRATION.DETAIL.DE/DRIFTWOOD-PAVILION-113828.HTML
The ideas of Sibingo were manifested through a computer-generated script that repeatedly manipulated the movement of lines in a parallel fashion. Fabrication (Workshop and CNC) was undertaken within the AA workshop at Hooke Park, Dorset and done in seven weeks. Unit masters Charles Walker, Martin Self and Senior Engineer Ching Luan Lau helped to ensure that creativity is remained within the bounds set by feasibility and today’s costeffective and eco-friendly prerequisites. This installation aimed to celebrate invention, experiment, innovative materials, and aesthetic intelligence in architecture, and have succeeded. However, it was criticised because it is less meaningful for the neighbourhood, the audience, and other non-human species than to the designer and the institution like many other pavilion-type installations. Moreover, even though non-human stakeholders were not the major question discussed for this installation, they are being involved and potentially suffered from losing their natural habitat in the logging process.
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FIGURE 5. DANECIA SIBINGO, STRUCTURAL DESIGN FOR DRIFTWOOD PAVILION, 2009. DESIGN DIAGRAM. HTTPS://WWW.DEZEEN.COM/2009/06/25/DRIFTWOOD-BY-DANECIA-SIBINGO/
The negative impacts to the environment in the construction process and poor treatment of disassembled materials or event waste has been common criticisms for installations and happenings (Powerful Thinking 2015). While some of these works received positive reactions from their audiences, many of them has failed to consider non-human species’ plight. Little have they take impact to the environment into account. Yet, we must acknowledge that humankind cannot sustain without other species. In fact, inappropriate human actions are the main reason for the Sixth Extinction (Kolbert 2014). And it is said that there is no ‘singular extinction’ phenomenon; instead, extinction is ‘experienced, resisted, measured, enunciated, performed, and narrated’ in several ways in which human must participate (Rose, Dooren and Chrulew 2017). Therefore, if us homo sapiens do not wish to be the only species on earth and experience the so called ‘Eremozoic Era’ (Wilson 1999), we must act to protect biodiversity, in this case, through installations and happenings. Thus, it is crucial for us, as designers, to design for symbiocene and biophilia. In which we came up with the event proposal #looking4animals. 5
Places and Events
FIGURE 6. MATT KOWAI, ANIMAL RIGHT PROTEST, N.D.. PHOTOGRAPHY.
Despite constant efforts and improving awareness s in promoting animal welfare across the globe, animal exploitation persists. Every year, humans slaughter billions of animals in hopes to satisfy their various needs and wants despite the availability of alternatives that do not require using animals. Many animals are found in captivity that they are being forced to live under unpleasant and uncomfortable conditions as a result. Animal exploitation could be explained by several different motives of humans. The most common ones are breeding and killing animals for food or clothing. These animals are often farmed or reared under substandard conditions and deprived of their lives. Some of them are even employed as substitutes to human slaves in different productions or animal experimentations in ways which people would never consider using humans. Animals are also used to satisfy human desire for entertainment and companionship as humans purchase them as pets and engage in activities such as hunting and fishing (Animal Ethics n.d.).
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Gladly, there has been a long history of artwork and civil disobedience to speak for animal ethics. Each of these discussions have raised society’s awareness to care for animal more and put progression on protecting animal rights (Jin 2016).
FIGURE 7. DAMIEN HIRST, THE PHYSICAL IMPOSSIBILITY OF DEATH IN THE MIND, 1991.INSTALLATION: GLASS, STEEL, SILICON, FORMALDEHYDE AND SHARK, 217 X 542 X 180 CM. PRUDENCE CUMING ASSOCIATES PHOTOGRAPY.
FIGURE 8. MARCO EVARISTTI, HELENA, 2000. MOULINEX OPTIBLEND 2000 ELECTRIC BLENDERS, LIVE GOLDFISH, AND WATER. DIMENSIONS: TEN BLENDERS SET UP ON A SMALL TABLE, TRAPHOLT ART MUSEUM, KOLDING, DENMARK. 7
FIGURE 9. MARK DION, SCALA NATURAE, 1994. STEPPED PLINTH, ARTIFACTS, SPECIMENS, TAXIDERMIC ANIMALS, AND BUST, 93 3/4 X 39 3/8 X 117 INCHES. COURTESY TANYA BONAKDAR GALLERY, NEW YORK.
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To elaborate, Artist Dana Ellyn is a native and full-time painter from Washington DC who lives and paints in her downtown studio. Her works continuously questions existing social principles, and thoughtfully challenging them with strong and content colour.
(LEFT) FIGURE 10. DANA ELLYN, UNHAPPY MEAL, N.D.. OIL ON CANVAS, 18'' X 24''. (RIGHT) FIGURE 11. DANA ELLYN, YOU ORDERED THE BACON?, N.D.. ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 28'' X 30''.
FIGURE 12. DANA ELLYN, TEACHING MOMENT, N.D..ACRYLC ON CANVAS, 16''X20''.
Take this painting, Teaching Moment as an example, the artist portraits a child innocently dipping cockerels to the source and ready to eat them. This painting sits between social 9
realism and expressionism and conveys that many people ignore the fact that nuggets are made from chickens which were cruelly raised and manufactured to the product by big industry. The manufactured animals' products displayed on the shopping shelves rarely make us relate to living animals. Which leads to less thinking and less sympathy for the animals. The artist did not take the perspective of putting humans and animals in opposite positions. In fact, this dystopian situation will almost never happen and making every human vegetarian are seemingly impossible. However, we need to acknowledge that human lives rely on the animal product. And doing as much as we can to improve how they are being treated and their environment of living. Notwithstanding, we noticed that this is a very large argument and there is no definite answer for topics such as vegetarianism, animal worker, animal experiment and so on. Discussions on this aspect have been ongoing but rarely have achieved significant mutual agreement since the majority of humankind’s livelihood rely on animal products. Therefore, our group proposed a relatively more open-ended public project primarily to raise discussion and advocate for less unnecessary animal product consumption.
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Design Methods
FIGURE 13. YU-HSUAN CHEN, CROCODILE HANDBAG, 2020. COMPUTER RENDER, #LOOKING4ANIMALS PROJECT, IN GROUP WITH GUAN LIN HUANG AND CAIDI YU.
This project will be carrying out through two stages, in the first stage we plan to collaborate with local Melbourne animal welfare groups such as Animal Welfare League Australia, PetRescue and Shelter Mate etc. for more domestic participation. We will recruit volunteers in or related to these organisations as well as animal activists or artists, animal lovers from the locality who interested in protecting animal rights to participate in the artist workshop and make individual small installations. 11
FIGURE 14. YU-HSUAN CHEN, SHOPPING SHELF, 2020. COMPUTER COLLAGE, #LOOKING4ANIMALS PROJECT, IN GROUP WITH GUAN LIN HUANG, CAIDI YU.
These installations will be animals juxtaposed with the manufactured products they are being made and will be distributed by volunteers to store shelves or display windows and will be conducted in an aggressive and undiscussed manner. We hope that such unkind and inconvenient behaviour can arouse broader participation than simply put installations in art galleries and thinking of stakeholders other than those who was originally animal lovers. To achieve the best outcome of this project will require audience responses from animal activists/artists and netizens in the second stage. Large amount of social media reactions and discussions of either positive or negative must be aroused. Potential scenarios may be audience react positively, more people will join the workshop and the internet gives positive 12
feedbacks and discussions. Some store owners may celebrate this movement and remain the installation pieces in store to portrait a positive and active store or brand image. Customers may find it interesting and actively looking for installations and post it on social media. Potentially, they will also get to know more about the project and participate. Alternatively, activists may also organise protest to advocate animal ethics and animal rights.
FIGURE 15. GUAN LIN HUANG, SOCIAL MEDIA REACTION, 2020. #LOOKING4ANIMALS PRJECT, IN GROUP WITH YU-HUSAN CHEN AND CAIDI YU. 13
However, these are the ‘perfect’ imageries of the outcome, other potential participatory forms need to be taken into consideration as part of designers’ responsibility. For example, customers come to stores may be disgusted or scared, and stop coming to the store or even condemn the storeowners for inaction on social media. In extreme situation, people may dismantle installations violently and cause damage to the stores and storeowners which is somewhat rarely envisioned in this project and in Melbourne context.
FIGURE 16. CAIDI YU, SCREEN SHOT FROM STOP MOTION, 2020. #LOOKING4ANIMALS PROJECT, IN GROUP WITH GUAN LIN HUANG AND YU-HSUAN CHEN.
Recyclable or recycled materials such as artificial leather or fur, recycled plastic, cardboard, metal, plaster etc. are aimed to make the individual sculptures. These materials used for making the installations will be collected from environment or sustainability protection organisations, potentially as an event and part of the project, and can also be brought by volunteers.
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Quality and Future Assessing creative work can be ambiguous, data and numbers can be evident to measure whether a creative work is beneficial despite it is not always easy to conduct. Preciseness of ideas conveyed by the work, its influenceability to the society and environment, financial cost, potential risks and so on need be considered in a controlled manner to produce quality work. For our project, it is a collaboration of installations and behavioural art which aim to raise more and continuous discussion on social media and conveying human-animal continuity to generate empathic feelings towards animals. Informing customers to make deliberate choice when purchasing animal products and call for less unnecessary consumption. The effectiveness can be investigated by studying consumer’s purchase pattern in corresponding area. Potentially, public opinion may put pressure on large corporations who really exploited animals and force them to take social responsibility to improve the way they treat animals used in production. The sales and production volume on corporation reports provide another measurement method. Reactions and discussion from social media and customers in stores will be the observable outcome of this event and remedy can be made in case emergency happens. These installations are portable. Individual sculptures are small and should be relatively light to carry. The forms and results are highly various depends on the locations and people who create the piece. And it can be performed without permission since it is meant to be aggressive. The most significant prospect of this event is its repeatability. Animal lovers, activists and organisations from other areas can easily repeat such event following prior experience to arouse discussions and change. There is a possibility that this event become a viral worldwide phenomenon, in which case related animal right laws and regulations have the potential to be refined and emerge a systematic reformation rather than ephemeral social event to prove its effectiveness.
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Conclusion In conclusion, the interpretation and form of installations and happenings is recontextualised in contemporary social and business context. Though ecocentrism design approach has not yet become a widespread theory, installations and happenings can be powerful tools to inform, educate, warn, and change audience’s mind and behaviour towards non-human stakeholders under current challenges of global crisis. Our group has looked at one of these issues, animal exploitation, and came up with the event proposal to represent exploitation behaviours to the public to acknowledge human is not the only species on this planet. And since we are the one who causes many environmental crises and put the earth in danger, we should take the responsibility and act actively to compensate the planet and other species. Finally, potential methods of evaluating our project is identified to demonstrate the benefits of our work. Since unless yield benefits, art, design, and architecture are without merit and deliberately harmful to our environment.
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Bibliography Animal Ethics. n.d. Animal exploitation: Introduction. Accessed October 2020. https://www.animalethics.org/animal-exploitation-introduction/. DETAIL. 2009. Driftwood Pavlion. December. Accessed October 2020. https://inspiration.detail.de/driftwood-pavilion-113828.html. Fairs, Marcus. 2009. Driftwood by AA Unit 2. 25 June. Accessed October 2020. https://www.dezeen.com/2009/06/25/driftwood-by-danecia-sibingo/. Hubbard, Douglas. n.d. How to Measure Anything. Accessed November 2020. Jin, Lipeng. 2016. Animal Ethics and Contemporary Art: An Exploration of the Intersections Between Ethics and Aesthetics, Human and Animals, Human and Animal Injustices. Lancaster, Feburary. https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/82819/1/2016jinphd.pdf.pdf. Kolbert, Elizabeth. 2014. The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History. New York: Henry Holt. Powerful Thinking. 2015. “The Show Must Go On: Environmental Impact Report and Vision for the UK Festival Industry.” Industrial Response, Paris. http://www.powerful-thinking.org.uk/site/wpcontent/uploads/TheShowMustGoOnReport18..3.16.pdf. Prescott, Susan L., and Alan C. Logan. 2017. “Down to Earth: Planetary Health and Biophilosophy in the Symbiocene Epoch.” Challenges 8 (2): 19. https://doi.org/10/ghk27z. Rose, Deborah Bird, Thom Van Dooren, and and Matthew Chrulew. 2017. “Telling Extinction Stories.” In Extinction Studies: Stories of Time, Death, and Generations, by Deborah Bird Rose, Thom Van Dooren and and Matthew Chrulew, 1-17. New York: Columbia University Press. Wagner, Toni Robertson: Ina. 2013. “Ethics: Engagement, Representation and Politics-in-Action.” In Routledge International Handbook of Participatory Design, edited by Jesper SImonsen and Toni Robertson, 64-85. New York: Routledge. Welch, Adrian. 2019. Driftwood AA Summer Pavilion, London. 18 December. Accessed October 2020. https://www.e-architect.com/london/driftwood-pavilion-design. Wilson, Edward O. 1999. Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge. New York: Vintage Books.
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Table of figures Figure 1. Jamie Squire, Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, 2012. Photography. https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/olympic-opening-ceremonies.htm ...........................................2 Figure 2. Daniele Mattioli, UK Pavilion for Shanghai World Expo, 2010. Photography. https://www.archdaily.com/58591/uk-pavilion-for-shanghai-world-expo-2010-heatherwickstudio/ukpavilionsh0017 ................................................................................................................................2 Figure 3. Heide Wessely, Driftwood Pavilion, 2009. Photography.https://inspiration.detail.de/driftwoodpavilion-113828.html ......................................................................................................................................3 Figure 4. HEIDE WESSELY, DRIFTWOOD PAVILION Detail, 2009. PHOTOGRAPHY.HTTPS://INSPIRATION.DETAIL.DE/DRIFTWOOD-PAVILION-113828.HTML ..........................4 Figure 5. Danecia Sibingo, Structural Design for Driftwood Pavilion, 2009. Design diagram. https://www.dezeen.com/2009/06/25/driftwood-by-danecia-sibingo/ .......................................................5 Figure 6. Matt Kowai, Animal Right Protest, n.d.. Photography. ....................................................................6 Figure 7. Damien Hirst, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind, 1991.Installation: Glass, steel, silicon, formaldehyde and shark, 217 x 542 x 180 cm. Prudence Cuming Associates Photograpy. ...............7 Figure 8. Marco Evaristti, Helena, 2000. Moulinex Optiblend 2000 electric Blenders, live Goldfish, and Water. Dimensions: ten Blenders set up on a small table, Trapholt Art Museum, Kolding, Denmark. .........7 Figure 9. Mark Dion, Scala Naturae, 1994. Stepped plinth, artifacts, specimens, taxidermic animals, and bust, 93 3/4 x 39 3/8 x 117 inches. Courtesy Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York. ........................................8 Figure 10. Dana Ellyn, Unhappy Meal, n.d.. Oil on Canvas, 18'' x 24''. ...........................................................9 Figure 11. Dana Ellyn, You Ordered the Bacon?, n.d.. Acrylic on Canvas, 28'' x 30''. .....................................9 Figure 12. Dana Ellyn, Teaching Moment, n.d..Acrylc on Canvas, 16''x20''. ...................................................9 Figure 13. Yu-Hsuan Chen, Crocodile Handbag, 2020. Computer Render, #looking4animals Project, in Group with Guan lin Huang and Caidi Yu......................................................................................................11 Figure 14. Yu-Hsuan Chen, Shopping Shelf, 2020. Computer Collage, #looking4animals Project, in group with Guan Lin Huang, Caidi Yu. .....................................................................................................................12 Figure 15. Guan Lin Huang, Social Media Reaction, 2020. #looking4animals prject, in group with Yu-Husan Chen and Caidi Yu. ........................................................................................................................................13 Figure 16. Caidi Yu, Screen shot from stop motion, 2020. #looking4animals project, in group with Guan lin Huang and Yu-Hsuan Chen. ..........................................................................................................................14
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