narrative environments
hacked by
Nature // Mariana lourenรงo
Narrative environments hacked by nature Köln International School of Design
Professional Opportunities - Prof. Andreas Wrede Authoress: Mariana Lourenço
CC 2015 // Mariana Lourenço Este obra está licenciado com uma Licença Creative Commons Atribuição-NãoComercial 4.0 Internacional.
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iNDEX
Introduction 0 4
01 02 03
Design into complex systems
70
NATURE AS PARAMETER FOR TECHNOLOGY 12
practices of narrative spaces
92
conclusion
50
Quotations & Bibliography
52
abstract
intro Since thousands of years, many colonies of social insects like bees and termites has a collective intelligence. It emerges naturally from its collaborative work, otherwise they would never have alone enough intelligence. Considering intelligence as the ability to solve problems, it was already provided many clues that the individual actuators in the contemporary humans urban context is not enough to solve our new complex problems, even with their very smart brains. However, they are a fundamental point in the chain of our actual networked society. All the small parts of it has its own intelligence, and they compound a living systems where each function is distributed. Regarding to that, problems about the continuity of the life in the planet is obviously related to failures that happened at some point of our actual chain of production and consumption. The ecological agenda is asking no longer for only general discussions, but actually demanding specific changes of attitudes from all subsystems. 6|
“onlytwothingsI can saythat are really irreversible: //(..)Theconnections,therelationships,the interdependenciesandthecommunication spreadallovertheglobe.Wearenowin apositionthatwearealldependenton eachother.WhathappensinMalaysia,youknowitoryoudonotknowit,you feelitoryoudonotit-hastremendous importancefortheprospectsoflifefor theyoung people in São Paulo. (...)
//Thesecondisthat(...)ourancestors decidedtotakeovernatureunderhuman management,andhopethattheywould makenatureabsolutelyobedienttohuman needsandissues,andtherewouldbefull controloverwhatishappeninginthe world.Nowthatcametoanend,because (..)intheresultofthistremendoussuccess ofscienceandsociologywe , cameveryclose towhatwenowunderstandasthelimits of endurability of the planet. ” Zygmunt Bauman, 2011 01
As an interdisciplinary field, design has
parameters, the visualization created
responsibility in the improvement of the
tend to have its own particular hybrid
communication between the connections. It
language which also communicate part of
is also important to think about intelligent
the process. It contributes for a new future
and creative new commands for the
aesthetic and biological relations with
programmable technologies, in order to
technology.
generates large complexity from simple rules, that is, bottom-up systems. But
Apart from any speculation about our
what would be the best strategies to get
future, there is something in common
solutions from the “machines”?
between all the parts of this complex mechanism: it should be managed
This new design processes can be based
itself through the cooperation of all the
in parameters that were extracted
parts. The huge challenge being faced by
from biological systems or in its natural
the designer in the new digital era and
morphologies. Due to the combination
specialization fields are how to coordinate
between the use of analog datas and digital
all the actuators of this complex system. |7
01 DESIGN into
COMPLEX SYSTEMS
collective intelligence
Emergence During an avalanche, an agglomeration of many particles of sand tend to, in response to some random perturbation, move with a constant speed and adopting the direction of the movement. The parameters of this collective motion is similar to what happen between the flocking of birds, ants, swimming of schools of fish, migrating bacteria or molds. This natural phenomenon is explained by self-propelled particles (SPP) that produce swarm behavior. Each part of the swarm is an autonomous agent, but the need for the group override their individual intentions. The swarming systems has single agents that team up with no decision-maker leader result in a collective wisdom, in other words, it allows emergent behavior to improve the system qualitatively. Emergence have already been studied since a while in the history through the system science. Complex system was firstly proposed in 1940’s by the biologist Ludwig von Bertalanffy, and it had been underlying biology, physics, 10 |
“Emergenceiswhathappenswhenan interconnectedsystemofrelatively simpleelementsself-organizeto formmoreintelligent,moreadaptive higher-level behavior. ” - Steven Johnson 02 sociology and technology in general. It focus in
In other words, the coordination from
the arrangement and relationship of the parts
some minority group that possesses the
instead of the properties of single particles.
control, in a top-down hierarchy, is not
Above all, it avoids reductionism because it
so simple in a such complexes knowledge
looks for the unity of sciences, by assuming
fields entanglement. Self-managed groups
that real systems are opened and respond
with independent actuators in cooperation
to their environment.
are the structure that tendo to be most find in the natural systems.
“The possession, use and control of knowledge have become their central theme
Moreover, it is necessary to mention how
[from Elites] - the theme song of their
decisive were the changes made by the
expertise. However, their power depends
digital revolution in the society complexity.
not on the effect with which they use that
Nevertheless specialization from the
knowledge but on the effectiveness with
post-industrial society and the digital era
which they control its use. Thus, among the
had been multiplied the complexity in a
illusions which have invested our civilization
geometric progression, it has at the same
is an absolute belief that the solution to
time created technologies that could be
our problems must be a more determined
used to control it. Put differently, they
application of rationally organized expertise.
can also be programmed to respond to our
(...) The reality is that the division of
complex problems, so it is important to
knowledge into feudal fiefdoms of expertise
investigate how bottom-up intelligence
has made general understanding and
emerge to find those answers.
coordinated action not simply impossible but despised and distrusted.” - John Ralston Saul 03 | 11
Img. 1 // “Cosmic Jive: Tomás Saraceno. The Spider Sessions”. Photo: Nuvola Ravera Courtesy Studio Saraceno
The installations from the argentinean artist Tomás Saraceno shows his extensive research about spider webs. He had been exploring complex world of spider, from capturing the sounds and vibrations emitted by spiders, until mixturing species with different degree of sociability - solitary, social, and semi-social (living together in big communities on a single web) ending up in a collaborative construction of a hybrid web. His studies shows many aspects of design, architectural, engineering, social and symbolic values of the spider webs that has high levels of the emergence from collective intelligence and networked systems with a bottom-up design.
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In the img , it is clear that Saraceno treated this floating space configuration as a medium for many people experience together, that is, with no meaning without them.
Img. 2 // Installation “Tomás Saraceno - In orbit”. K21 Ständehaus. Photo: personal archive. Curators: Marion Ackermann, Susanne Meyer-Büser Head of Engineering Department: Bernd Schliephake
The way it is designed afford a very strong sense of network, resonances and communication to the users, because the interaction with each part of it can be felt in the opposit end, in a codependent movement. Moreover, the 25 meters high distance from floor provides an intense oscilating feeling between floating and falling, and allows communication also with the people down there. It is definetedly an interesting collaboration between art, engeneering, architecture and biologists.
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resilient living machines
Nature has billion of years of trials and
Resilient architecture, as long as design,
errors for smarter solutions. Maybe its
means that each small cell that compound
most relevant wisdom is the ability to
a system or structure should be responsive.
cope with changes, that is, resilience. All
It means that the behavior should be
self-manageable smartness emerge from
controlled in such a way that the form no
necessity to build through diversities.
longer follow the function, but it evolves according to interactions with the built
In an uncertain and fast-evolving society,
spaces, the nature and the humans. They
there is no doubt that the more diverse
are inserted in a complex context with
is the system, the more resilient against
variables that cannot be ignored, and they
external interference it is. Diversity means
are based in this most important three
different connections and layers, in addition
parameters.
to the possibility to flow between them with versatility and modularity. Resilience concept have been coined from differents fields of study. The term has been already extensively studied into the individual behavior for psychology, into organisational management for business, or even into material sciences for engineering.
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Responsive structure from William Bondin done 2013 as final work in the MA in The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. It is a solar-powered mobile polyhedra that can reconfigure to motivate social interaction. User is able to play with the living sculpture, that has a very simple digital brain. The environmental-behavior concept was inspired by the slime mold physarum polycephalum. Morphs like this mold isn’t provided by brain, but it is programmed to avoid shady and humid places to protect his electronic organism, just like the mold cognitive process incorporated in its environment. When it looks for food, it marks with slime the places where it was already explored.
The purpose to emphasize how can the robots be adaptive to nature and existing architecture, at the same time that encourage social humans interaction is audacious and at the same time interesting in the public space context, where most of the existing architecture are static.
Img. 3 // Img. 4 // Img. 5 // Morphs 1.0 from William Bondin. Photo: [http://www.williambondin. com/portfolio/morphs1/]. Retrieved 21/08/2015.
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As an self-adaptable structure, it has already the 2.0 version a should came up soon with probably new beta versions, since it allows different unfoldings in the use of it as structure. Morph 2.0 is an octahedral 1.5 meters that slowly rolls over the floor once some part of its structure extends and change its centre of gravity. In this prototype it is possible to see how different are the ideas when they are put into physical works. It is also an important feature to think a design that is open to future different unimaginable unfoldings.
Img. 6 // Morphs 2.0, real prototype from William Bondin. Photo: [http://www.interactivearchitecture. org/lab-projects/morphs]. Retrieved 21/08/2015.
Part of the strategy to achieve resilient
In conclusion, the same way nature is
solutions is to keep this responsive logic
constant prototyping and selecting their
in the whole process. A coherence should
most resilient organisms, design cannot
exist not only in the project phase or as final
ignore the real constraints, which makes
product, but should face it as never ending
the learn by doing an evolving path to a
process, a design of continuity. In order to
constant dialog with the environment. It is a
achieve it, it is impossible to develop a project
bottom-up process that is always opened to
only in the ideal speculative field, because
new unfoldings, waiting for the next BETA
ideas do not deal with real time and space.
version. Supported by the convergence of
That is, each material has its particular
the physical with the digital world, it is the
homeostasis, so it respond differently to
possibility to design living machines in a
balance forces and make a new equilibrium.
new context of a hybrid ecology.
It also applies for digital simulations. They are useful tools to testing large scale complexities, however, it should never be forgotten that the digital environment has Cartesian coordinates. They are ideal neutral spaces, like a vacuum, and the reality deal with unpredictable forces and motions.
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sustainaBILTY people X technology
Continuous production of technology and
It needs to be considered that the
products was the goal of industrial age
technology cannot create all resources to
for a long time. During all this period, we
every material need we created nowadays.
invented a lot of dumb technologies that
At some point, the natural physical limit
we could not imagine that would cause so
will always be imposed in a society based
hard consequences for the future. Now, we
in things. In opposition, in a society based
know. It is not possible to act as we do not
in people, the natural limits are considered
know about possible unexpected effects of
before any action. The starting point of
new technologies in our next future.
this society is having a common idea about where to go in the future, so an important issue is how we can transform our economy.
“Wecannotstoptech,andthereisno reasonwhyweshould.Itisuseful. Butweneedtochangetheinnovation agendainsuchawaythatpeoplecome beforetech.Itwillbeanongoing struggle,ofcourse.Fromnineteenthcenturymillownerstotwentiethcenturydot-commers,businesspeople havelookedforwaystoremovepeople fromproduction,usingtechnology andautomationtodoso.Alotof organizationwillcontinueonthis path,buttheyarebehindthetimes.� - John Thackara, 2005 04
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Since eightieth decade, ecological eco-
In opposition to ecological economy, the
nomics has been discussed. In order
environment economy, as a discipline of
to study the interdependencies and
Economy, do not tackle the fact that the
coevolution of human economies and
economy has a biophysical limit in the
natural ecosystems, this transdisciplinary
finite planet if we think about large scales.
academic research tries to alternatively
This system’s growth is not different from
approach the economy sub-system as
any other in nature, as plants community,
part of the ecosystem, hence, emphasizes
economy cannot grow continuously. On
the protection of the natural capital and
the other hand, after it reaches a constant
the sustainability. Fair distribution and
state, it does improve through cooperation.
efficient allocation are behind the idea of
It means that the collaborative attitude by
scaling sustainable production.
each part of the systems is intrinsic for the development of the community.
“Ecological economics exists because a hundred years of disciplinary specialization in scientific inquiry has left us unable to understand or to manage the interactions between the human and environmental components of our world. While none would dispute the insights that disciplinary specialization has brought, many now recognize that it has also turned out to be our Achilles heel. (...) How is human behaviour connected to changes in hydrological, nutrient or carbon cycles? What are the feedbacks between the social and natural systems, and how do these influence the services we get from ecosystems? Ecological economics as a field attempts to answer questions such as these.� - International Society for Ecological Economiecs (ISEE) 05
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Actually, think about the economy as an
technical cycle, according to the origin of
ecosystem, as long as taking insights from
the matter. In such a manner, products
living systems is being discussed since
of consumption that are biologically
the seventh decade through the notion
consumable can after return to soil, and
of Circular Economy. It has been specially
non toxic products of service, that we do
developed by some schools of thought, like
not effectively consume the molecular
“Cradle to Cradle” and “Biomimicry”.
potential, should be able to return to the industry forever and be transformed in
The architect William McDonough along
new useful products. So, whilst the so
with Michael Braungart talked in “Cradle
called technical nutrients are kept in the
to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make
ownership of the manufacturer, they must
Things”15 about that as the Next Industrial
also be responsible for its material assets.
Revolution. In opposition to the standard “Cradle to grave” system, where the result
John Thackara 04 (2005)describes a well
of a LCA (Life-cycle assessment) is a
being based on less stuff - which people are
linear waste flow, in which the elements
designed back into situations - and more
are left aside after a period of use, in the
into people. That means a design focused
closed loop approach the natural biological
on services and systems, so the objects
metabolism are mimicked.
would play a support role. He curiously trace a parallel of a “transition, which is already
Thus, the life-cycle of all products should
under way, from innovation drive by science
be inside either a biological cycle other a
fiction to innovation inspired by social fiction”.
the next
economy | 19
Img. 7 // Mobius Project. Photo: [http://www. exploration-architecture.com/projects/the-mobiusproject]. Retrieved in 30/09/2015.
Mobius Project is a concept of productive greenhouse with a restaurant where the “all waste equals food” is taken in the highest level. As public space, the greenhouse would have community allotments growing food, a food market, and many sub-systems compounding the ecosystem.
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Between the cycles of food production, energy generation and water treatment, many processes are coordinated to form a closed-loop system. Food leftovers are composted by wormery composting system, producing energy for heat and electricity. Waste water becomes fresh again by plants and microorganisms in the “Living Machine” system treatment pioneered by John Todd. Coffee grain recycled to grow mushrooms, served as food, as long as another seasonal food grown in the greenhouse. Biodegradable waste from the community around generates electricity, through the methane derived from composting and anaerobic digester.
Accordingly, all physical tridimensional
transform the waste in opportunities is
design in this context undoubtedly faces
a big deal. Michael Pawlyn researched
new paradigms. Form should follow the
interesting projects developed under
environment, that is, design should be
the idea of use the “rests” to feed new a
driven by the most effective way to operate
product- life-cycle, like the Mobius Project.
nature’s resources, specially in terms of material and energy flows. For instance,
Even though those circular systems
daylight is a powerful energy source to take
sound good approaches in the direction of
into account in the spaces construction.
sustainability, some critics pointed to the implementation of such product system
Furthermore, the disposal phase in the
up to now. The authors that created the
design of a product’s life plays an important
trademark C2C (Cradle to Cradle), developed
hole in the environment metabolism, and
a certification that was provided only
has been for a long time neglected. It
from this private company. Even with
means that “all waste equals food”, that
effort to make partnerships with Dutch
is, takes place again an important rule of
government, for instance, and also create
Nature about never wasting. In regard to
a public institution that could give those
increasingly demanded answers to the
certificates, it sounds strange to create a
question “What to do with our waste?”,
certificate for a new system of economy, based in the approach of the old system. All in all, to think about the next economy
The relevance of this project when thinking about systems design is how it restore connections between the people in the city. A society that is based in consume of products instead of relation with people tend to individualisation in urban space. The loss of community sense and of contact with earth ended up being the cause for many of contemporary city problems, like the majority consume of industrialized harmful food products
with the circular system does not seem to be a bad idea, but implementations to approaches like Cradle to cradle could be driven to an open source kind of certification.
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02 nature as Parameter for technology
big data by nature’s code
Access to information and the capacity
In addition to that, the questions
to provide it a strategic direction is a
concerning sustainability are how and where
strength of information era. On the other
to save all the information. Some of the
hand, misuse and unintelligent strategies
answers have been studied through the
to select it or store it are between the
biomedical spectrum.
emerging complication of it. “All the digital data we produce requires “I certainly think there’s a data overload
an ever increasing number of data centres,
- and an awful lot of the data that
packed with energy-hungry servers that
is generated is entirely redundant.
contribute to large amounts of CO2
Information is something which is valuable,
emissions. This kind of digital storage is
which you can use. Data is just junk.”
limited, but biology may provide a new solution. Recently scientists have stored
commented David Lewis in interview for
all of Shakespeare’s sonnets in DNA, along
The Guardian 06.
with 26 seconds of Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech, and Watson and
According to the newspaper’s report, the
Crick’s paper on the structure of DNA. “
new-found desire to report everything is causing the surge in information. 800
- Big Data Catalogue, 2014. 07
megabyte of data, possibly interpreted as
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equivalent to 800 books, are the amount
Big Data catalog was a result of “Big Data:
of data created for every man, woman and
Designing with the Materials of life” that
child in 2002. Thus, a question arises: what
was curated as the 3 weeks project Fabric of
could be the future of the big data?
Life 2014, and an exhibition which that took
Material Science place in Lethaby Gallery at Central Saint Martins in London. This exhibition showed biologically driven narratives of design,
art & design
including work from Ann-Kristin Abel, Natsai Chieza, Amy Congdon, Ruairi Glynn, Rob Kesseler, Ollie Palmer and also the already
softrobotics
Synthetic biology
mentioned Morphs from William Bondin. Img. 9 // Complementary fields to Art an Design.
It is important to mention that this alive projects are tightening the relations
to be handled by not specialized people
between the biologic physical systems
with simplified interfaces. For this reason,
and the virtual information technologies.
material science, synthetic biology and
Even though they stay most of the time in
soft-robotics has no longer been so much in
the means of research and speculations,
need of this bridge to be designed. Sciences
they bring out the high demand about this
and business has many new insights to be
analog with digital entanglement. That is
explored with the design thinking, so the
how opportunities to an emerging bio-tech
designers are now aware of this powerful
landscape in design are developed.
communication and multidisciplinary ability to connect fields and create new interfaces.
In brief, the cross-disciplinary practices
In addition, there is no doubt that the
emerge in the new networked systems as
biological systems smartness are able to help
a strong tool of innovation. The current
the design to generate new perspectives.
technology is allowing complexes fields
Considering that, what can the designers learn in exchange from the scientists?
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Img. 10 // Ant Ballet Machine by Ollie Palmer. Source: http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2012/10/ start/colony-choreography. Retrieved 30/08/2015.
In “Big data“ project, they explored the possibilities through a cross-disciplinary approach about how to process, edit and store large amounts of digital data. One of the projects exhibited were the Ant Ballet, where Ollie Palmer used synthesized pheromones used in their communication to “hack” their behavior.
“This project asks viewers to reflect on their relationship to control systems, free will, and our mechanistic viewpoint of the world. The Ant Ballet machines directly hack into ant communication protocols, tricking ants into thinking that they are being passed trail messages by other ants. As humans, we can see that the machine is in control. If we could shift our perspective, could we ever tell if something larger were playing the same trick on us?”
- Big data Cathalog, 2014. 07 Here the emergent collect intelligence of the ants were subverted showing what are possible negative aspects of interference in the system. We can’t predict how the new technologies will be handled in the future, and that has specially moral implication concerning biologicals manipulations. How can we we combine biologic systems with technology, in such a manner that the mechanism will follow the nature holistic rules, and never be subverted by local interests?
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Img. 11 // Ant Ballet Machine by Ollie Palmer. Source: Big Data cathalog.
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biotech
Biotechnology, or biotech, is based in
properties. Transformation of already
genetic engineering, which means the
existing living systems or the creation of
manipulation genes generally from a
new beings carry a heavy responsibility,
donor organism to a host. However, it
because it can have several positive and
aims to deepen into developing brand new
negative consequences. Therefore, it
biological systems and organisms. This
concern to all society to be attentive about
interference would bring on high levels of
what should not be done.
transformations not only in the biological developments and ecology, but also in the
Eugene Thacker in interview to Mau, B.
economy and ethics.
with Leonard, J. and the Institute without Boundaries 08 (2004) talked about the
It sounds a contemporary issue, but more
transgenics in its positive aspect. Even
than one hundred years was synthetic
though the genetically modified food has
biology already providing expectations for
demand a delicate surrounds of safety
the future. Genome design knowledge has
and needs serious regulations, the idea
been improved, and even scaling production
of isolating the biological processes,
with 3d printers are already on the agenda.
and then reframe it in a new context, is
Nonetheless, it is still imprecise and
basically the system of a factory. In this
expensive like a craft.
way, microorganisms, enzymes and genes perform in labs as, what Marx called, “living
For the design, it offer new ranges of
labor” which the labors aren’t the people.
approach to deal with biological systems
He mentioned that although
through the digital tools. It concerns to new
“biotechnology” is just the use of
smart materials and structures that is by its
“life”, it can also be sein as a particular
own a non-passive living system, that could
relationship between human beings and
possibly have more resilient and interactive
their natural environment, and also said:
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“It’s is a very tough bridge to construct,
One tangible example of studies in this field
between the molecular biology definition
are in bioluminescence. A biotechnology
of life and our larger social, political, and
laboratory called Biocurious, which is an
cultural definitions of life.”
coworking, training, center and hub for hobbyists, students, entrepreneurs that want
And this is an important issue for the
to experiment biology, has a study group
designers - to help to build this bridge.
about Bioluminescence. They are interested in cell culture to produce bioluminescent light using luciferase, and have interest in
At the same time, this theme divides
bioluminescent bacteria and dinoflagellates.
opinion between the synthetic biologists and the more conservative ecologists. In
In sum, this is a field that can be explored
his book about the future of our complex
in the quest for a hybrid ecology. In the
world with a engaged point of view with
new context, physical spaces, humans,
the environment, John Thackara were
organisms, biological process starts to co-
assertive in his opinion.
work with virtual spaces, softwares, genetic modified organisms, robots, synthetic
“The worst kind of tech push combines
biological organisms. The emergence of
irresponsibility with wishful thinking. One
a new system merging technology and
of the worst current offenders is biotech.
natural systems is the opportunity for a
When Eugene Thacker studied the biotech
more sustainable environment.
industry for a book he was writing, he encountered “blatant disparity between hyper-optimism and an overall lack of concrete results”. The future promises of biotech are many and far reaching, but Thacker could not help noticing the comparative absence of any concrete, widespread, sustainable results of the application of biotech in medicine and health care.” - John Thackara, 2005 04 | 29
03 narrative spaces practices
Exhibitive spaces has its architecture origins probably in monuments of celebration and adoration. Since a long time, old pyramids from Egypt or cemeteries was space of religious rituals, with some levels of appreciation, social and metaphysical experiences. Also, ceremonies to present and communicate messages was always of relevance as a mediation of collective ideas. Nowadays, exhibition spaces and its scenography are a segment of design that range museums, expos, thematic parks, stages, visual merchandising. They are presented here as narrative spaces because all of them tell stories, through where specific intentions are communicated. Therefore, the narrative has a prominent role in exhibition spaces as a designer medium.
spaces
telling stories 32 |
Tristan Kobler, founder and director along
And Holzer Kobler complemented:
with Holzer Kobler of the Holzer Kobler Architekturen, stated in an interview for Oudsten, F. den 09 (2011) that there are no non-narrative spaces, since all spaces has narratives. Then, when asked what is an exhibition, and he said:
“An exhibition is of course also a narrative space. That’s unavoidable. And if it’s unavoidable it has to become part of the plan. In other words, I can guide the narrative. And a lot of exhibition designers don’t think that it’s narrative and therefore they make no attempt to guide the narrative. This aspect is paid no attention in a lot of exhibitions. The presentation certainly tells a story, but perhaps not the intended one.”
“As silly as it may sound, every exhibition has a didactic task, a thematic assignment. The exhibition should convey a message. In other words, there is a narrative. The exhibition maker has to bring along a narrative. In other narrative environments the narrative may arise in part from the circumstances and realities of a given location. The narrative of an exhibition is not present from the outset as a basic tone pervading the exhibition site. The narrative of an exhibition has to be inscribed into the space and constructed artificially by the curator and scenographer. It hasn’t grown over time. I think that’s the key difference. In an exhibition you create an artificial world, just as you do in the cinema or theatre.”
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Through experimental display strategies, it
For him, scenography is a discipline that
stoods in proximity to art and has similarities
should always touch physical, atmosphere,
with performance on stage. According to
narration and dramaturgy.
Uwer R. Brückner - Ateliêr Bruckner 10 (2011), “Whereas the work of art purports to be enigmatic and ambiguous, scenography brings about elucidation, resolution and clarity. Where art irritates and is disturbing, scenography is concerned with orientation and insight. It is poly- and trans-disciplinary; it is craftsmanship and theory, technique and technology at the same time.“
“Allstagedspacesarebasedonthe samespatialparameters:1.thephysical assubstantive,2.theatmosphereas adjective,3.thenarrationasverbaland 4.thedramaturgyassyntactics.These fourparameterssharethepurposeof makingappropriatespaceavailablefor thecontentinquestion,i.e.theobjectsto beexhibitedandtheintendedmessage.” - Uwe R. Brückner, 2011 10
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“All We need” is a narrative space, that can be pointed as a project that creates temporary alternative realities, in an attempt of locally helps to guide a cultural change in a sustainable direction. In the “Helles des Soufflantes”, Esch/ Belval (Luxemburg), Europe’s Capital of Culture 2007, the exhibition embodied of the many relations between human needs, ecological and social resources available in the world and ways to achieve fairness. The notion of people needs coined by the chilean economist Manfred Max-Neef was the basis of the concept. His ideas was written in the book From the Outside Looking In: Experiences in
14 // Img. 15 // Img. 16 // Img. 12 // Img. 13 // Img. All we need exhibition. Photo: Paco Carrascosa [http://www.holzerkobler.com/en/country/ luxembourg/post/14] . Retrieved 21/08/2015.
Concept: i-art interactive and Holzer Kobler Architekturen Partners: Emanuel Tschumi / Heller Enterprises / Holzer Kobler Architekturen / Maximum Bricolage Plinio Bachmann Curators (Content): Mike Matthias, Jean-Marie Krier and Robert Garcia Project duration: 1,5 years
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Barefoot Economics, in 1981, where he broached about his experiences visiting poor communities in South America. In short, he talks about an economy that serves the people, and not the opposite. It was divided between ten topics: affection, creativity, freedom, identity, participation, protection, recreation, subsistence, understanding and transcendence.
Through educative and ludic scenario, the audience is prompted to question about what are really our fundamental necessities, and how to feed them without harming the continuity of the planet or override human rights. It presents alternatives in consumptions and fair trade, as long as a change of lifestyle.
Some numbers from Luxembourg and Greater Region, European Capital of Culture 200717, (2008) indicates that it became a new cultural center after the renovation of the 5,000m area, which were founded by the Ministry of Culture with a total of â‚Ź1.4 million. It attracted more than 29,750 visitors including internationals, schoolchildren and also a 13% of Luxembourg population, which is considered large.
Considering that museum and exhibitions are segments of the sensory agenda of contemporary, they are places involved not only in the representation, but also in the construction of cultures. At this point, “All we need� was a transformation potence.
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learning through the space
Is undeniable that the learning experience
Even though learning about sciences,
has severely changed by the digital
history and culture will never dismiss
tools. Through a more interactive and
concentrated reading, it cannot be
collaborative process, new methods
anymore always a hard and passive.
of education is progressively being
That is where narrative spaces can
adopted. Indeed, the availability of many
play an important role. As long as in
sources and ways to absorb information
the real life, games and internet, the
has enriched our relationship with the
exhibitions space can drive the user into
knowledge. However the new generations
an experiential narrative in a similar level
find themselves progressively more
of active participation. Thus, it has the
drowned in the sea of information, many
challenge to hone his role by informing and
qualitative methods for catching the
educating, as long as to inspire. It is part
attention of the new multi-focused and
of the strategy to catch emotionally and
multi-sensorial audience have taken place.
cognitively the attention of the new hyperconnected users.
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“learningisthereasonpeoplegoto museums,andlearningistheprimary ‘good’that visitors to museums derivefromtheirexperience’.Visitors generally come to learn and be entertained. It is not an either-or [Falk,MoussouriandCoulson,1998].The museumexperienceisaboutengaging people‘ineducationallyenjoyable experiencesfromwhichtheycantake theirownpersonalmeaning’andwhen successfulmuseumsshould‘goone stepbeyondexperienceandprovide theultimateoffering,transformation’ [Falk and Dierking 2000: 76]. “ - EdenProjectteamquotedinBlewitt,J.(2004)11
Furthermore, those spaces that allows new stories to be told are import to the practices of speculative design. It can bring on fresh ideas and opinions through multi directional new media. When developing immersive parallel speculative worlds, we are turning imagined worlds more tangible. The possibility to experience this atmosphere brings up new questions. It is almost like prototyping the future. As a consequence, it can help to entrench sustainable culture. We can’t forget that part of the process to achieve a better balance between economic, social and environment, is the change of relations, practices and beliefs that are harmful. In fact, it is quite hard to quantify how much it resonates in the real life of the visitors, and the real changes of attitudes. For this reason, those spaces shouldn’t forget to have a multidirectional exchange and hybrids sources of communication with their public. If the intention is to cause real attitude and behavior changes, it can’t be in the temporary entertainment sphere. It needs to create deep connections and modes of participation to foster engagement from the audience.
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Imagine a huge place outside of the urban space, where you find many children running around through play stations, ludic interactive new media installations. Imagine that they are very amused with this adventurous experience while playing with fantasy, fully immersed in a scenographic world and discovering all the rules that run there.
Img. 17 // Eden Project area. Cornwall, UK. Photo: [http://urbanpeek.com/2011/06/30/the-gardens-ofeden-project/]. Retrieved 30/08/2015.
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“Storiesandstorytellinglieattheheartof humanexperience–sincethebeginningof humankindwehavesharedthroughstories theevents,beliefsandvaluesthatmakeus whoweare.Inthiscomplexanddiverse world,storytellingprovidessomething allpeoplehaveincommon;itisthevery essenceofhowourmindworks,thewayin whichweunderstandoneanother.” - Andy Jasper, Eden Project 11
It could be the description of Disneyland or some amusement parks. Indeed, it is similar to a thematic park, which the theme would be ecology. It is an educational garden and environmental charity with around 80 plant-based exhibits, which compound a collection of mainly common everyday plants used for construction, materials, medicine, etc. It occupies an area that was exhaustively explored in the past during 160 years as china clay mining area.
Plays is one of the primary mechanisms by which children engage with the world and learn about social and cultural rules. As long as theaters, and types of entertainments that are part of the Cornish culture, they constantly offer play outdoor programs. Being outdoor is an opportunity for children from urban contexts to fulfill the lack of knowledge about the nature and emotional attachment to the ecosystem.
(Waters,P.,Whitbread-Abrutat,P.andKendle,T.12,2010)
Img. 18 // Eden Project from inside. Cornwall, UK. Photo: personal archive.
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Img. 19 // Eden Project - The Core building. Source: [https://www.edenproject.com/visit/whats-here/ core]. Retrieved 21/08/2015.
Img. 20 // Eden Project - Giant Bee sculpture. Source: [https://www.edenproject.com/visit/whats-here/ giant-bee-sculpture]. Retrieved 21/08/2015.
Perceptions are enriched through the narrative of the green space, which is remarkable in a time where landscapes are not so present in the senses repertoire.
With strategies very similar to the famous thematik park, they have similar sources of incomes, through thematic restaurant that sells organic food, shops with craft products made from communities, souvenirs with eco-friendly materials like rubber of recycled tyres, clothing bringing ecological concepts. All of that concept of ecology can be considered less radical, which means to maintain the same consum values from nowadays, but transforming it in a less aggressive consumerism through a culture change, and
Blending tourism and learning was the smart tools used in Eden Project to bring attention to the theme. Nonetheless, the merge of education with entertainment is always controversy and should be carefully treated. In this case, the direction took was an attempt to explain complex things in simple ways,
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for example, giving opportunities to smaller producers and local community to participate in the market. This is not a innovative way to face the topic, but it shows possibilities available for the present situation. In other words, in our actual society and market, it could also be an efficient approach to use the same language and strategies of marketing used from the past until now by the most popular and environmentally aggressive companies, but trying to subvert the values as a starting point in the change of values and behavior. If the goal is to reach a large quantity of people, it is important to use a certain language that they are already used to, as a strategy of approaching them. After gaining trust and creating connections, the strategy should be step by step improved and the tools updated, in order to boost critical engagement to consumerism.
“Its own story and core message offers an overall framework for visitor interpretation although there are tensions, recognised inconsistencies and apparent contradictions. It can be argued the failure to condemn GM rather than simply acknowledge the unresolved issues is incompatible with its support for sustainable and certainly organic agriculture but in July 2004 the Project announced it would celebrate national organic week by hosting a series of events and activities with the Soil Association. This reinforces the idea of Eden as an enabler, a facilitator, an educator and a forum for discussion.“
- Jasper (in Blewitt, J. 2004) 11
In addition, it is between the biggest greenhouse from the world. One of the architects of Eden Project, Michael Pawlyn, defends that resources sufficiency is a key for sustainable architecture. More specifically, light should be a powerful driver of architectural form. As an architecture solution, it was covered with pillows, instead of traditional use of glass. So it has the property of optimization of energy avoiding additional heating, at the same time that the material is light weight. It means that it requires less steel in the structure, and as a result, saves a lot in the foundations.
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The Eden must-see list Welcome to the Living Theatre of Plants and People. Come and explore our dependence on plants.
R.03: The Malaysian House M.11: Grape vines (with Dionysus)
R.05: Rainforest Aerial Walkway
M.13: Olives (gold path with doves) O.07: Pollination (and the Giant Bee)
O.15 – O.17: Biomass fuels, Myth and folklore, Wild Cornwall The Core: The Seed
Key:
Toilets
Cafés
R.03: The Malaysian House Our Rainforest Biome has four ‘wild’ geographic areas. In each we present a story from the people who live there. In the Malaysian zone we worked with people from Sabah to tell their story. Have a look at their garden; it’s similar to many of ours with slightly different plants, e.g. pak choi, taro and rice replace cabbage, carrots and potatoes.
R.05: Rainforest Aerial Walkway New for 2013. If you visit the forest it gets under your skin, fuelling a desire to care. We had always intended to take you into the tree canopy. Surprisingly it only took 12 years for the trees to reach this size. Above the Nest platform our ‘biodiversity’ chandelier illustrates the design features to eat, Img. 21 // Eden Project infographic with some of the plants need In order todrink, mention narrative spaces and its role, reproduce and protect themselves (all without moving). We’re now fundraising attractive points. Source: [http://www.edenproject. the example of the Eden Project combination for the next phase: a Walkway to a Weather Station that explores how the forests com/sites/default/files/eden-trail-must-see.pdf]. of architecture, learning space, art, biology, control the world’s climate and makes weather (model in Link building). Further Retrieved 21/08/2015. marketing, are aspects that transform it in the round the Biome you’ll meet crops that make your food and medicines.
medium and the message.
M.11: Grape vines (with Dionysus) Vines: look dead in winter and spring into life each year. Grapes: don’t last long but wine lasts for years. Wines: make some feel immortal. Dionysus, god of horticulture, vines and parties stands here balanced between the wild lands and the crops. It’s all a matter of balance. Will he go too far? Will we?
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One of the things we didn’t see coming in a lot of the planning of the Project was the degree of visitor interest in us and what we are doing as oppose to us being a window on all sorts of stuff. As time goes by and as the two things become less and less easily divisible and as we follow this policy of us becoming an aggressive supporter of local farming for example we have become part of the story and not just the teller of stories.
Img. 22 // Eden Project - The Plant Engine in the Core. Source: [https://www.edenproject.com/visit/ whats-here/core]. Retrieved 21/08/2015.
- Tony Kendle (in Blewitt, J. 2004) 11
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Designers are facing a physical reality
“Cyberspace, like mental space, is liquid,
that is tangled in many electronically
flexible and vibrant. It continually transforms
generated virtualities that shape hybrid
as it creates a hypertextual, non-linear
new realities. They are fields that deserve
environment rather than a linear time-space
special attention because they are constantly
continuum. In cyberspace, the concept of
upgrading the current perceptions in a non-
scale as we know it in the physical world does
stopping process and creating new aesthetics.
not exist, and, as a binary construct, it is mathematically infinite. The copy is identical
As a result of the new media, the cyber
to the original, and more than one object can
culture is co-created by those hybrid
exist in one place.”
realities and cyber aesthetics. - SZÓSTAKOWSKA, A. (2011)
14
Our physical spaces are interacting all the time with the constant created virtual spaces, and it is probably impossible to detach them. That is, it is impossible to think them separately, without one influencing the other. When designing new spaces, the network shape the virtual environments.
FROM CYBERspaces TO
HYBRID SPACES 46 |
The architectonic space are existential spaces in constant exchange with the virtual environments. While one can facilitates new links and connections to be created, the other can help to bolster those links and contribute to new unfoldings. It is a constant exchange that allows the creation of new worlds, where creativity can freely flow and find in itself an genuine opened space for spontaneous art, culture, social relations and economic activities to emerge.
Img. 23 // The Urban Algae Canopy prototype from ecoLogicStudio for the Fuorisalone 2014 [http:// www.ecologicstudio.com/v2/project.php?idcat=7&id subcat=59&idproj=129]. Retrieved 08/05/2015.
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Img. 24 // Img. 25 “ // HORTUS Paris” from ecoLogicStudio [http://www.ecologicstudio.com/ v2/project.php?idcat=3&idsubcat=71&idproj=127]. Retrieved 08/05/2015.
The living installation ‘HORTUS.PARIS’ is part of the Alive exhibition, that took place at the EDF Foundation in Paris.Through columns, the archetypes of architecture, compounded by a responsive photobioreactor of responsive microorganisms, it has its own ecology of continuum growth and exchanges of energy artificial light radiation, matter - biomass and carbon dioxide, and information - tweets. A photobioreactor, which uses light to cultivate phototrophic microorganisms, in this case is used to favor an environment for the microalgae chlorella vulgaris. As an direct collaboration, the audience collaborate with survival of the installation when they activate with carbon dioxide an air pump system that adjust their nutrient content. It provides them oxygen to grow the algae until it is filtered in the ground.
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In addition, they created a data flow environment available via smartphones, where an emergent virtual garden is feeded by the flow of tweets posts. Through this feedback, the interaction enriches the material experience of the visitors, and fosters different spatial relations when plotted with the urban “cyber-garden”. It is when the cyberspace cross the layers of physical spaces that a hybrid space emerge. Although the local and global possibility of engagement were created in some levels through the virtual environment, somehow it does not necessarily means direct connections with the biological environment. Even though some of the visitors would engage in the virtual tweets environment as a media, it does not necessarily locally interfere at some point of the living system biologically created. This direct interaction could be provided, for example, when some data taken from the tweets would in fact change the biological ecosystem created. Then, apart from the virtuality of the new media issue, it would have a direct communication between cyberspace and the biological system. At the end of the spectrum, this project was inserted in a context of installation art, and that could be a reason why the sustainable efficiency were not explored at the same level that the conceptual and emotional experience. With a photoreactor, it is
possible to make phototrophic biomass from gas carbon dioxide and nutrient-rich wastewater and that is a factor that could favor part of the subsystem of this environment, as a source of energy either for the keeping the environment where the structure where installed or feeding some other part of the cycle. It is an issue to be explored when dealing with photoreactors with ants, mosses, macroalgae, microalgae, cyanobacteria and purple bacteria.
It is a perfect example of a hybrid space. Even though sustainability were not taken into further terms, it has all the properties that was already mentioned in this research, as a spatial narrative related to living systems actuating along with digital data.
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Exhibitions of large scale as World fairs
than three weeks. The commission
produce a large impact, from children to
regulates Specialized expositions and
decision makers. It has been an important
World exhibitions, that addresses
platform to foment global discussions and has
general humanistics thematics and the
probably the power of bringing up new trends
participants, between them civil societies,
and reaching the most different sectors, even
corporations, countries and international
for positive or negative outcomes.
organisations, generally build their own pavilions - though some of them are receive
This kind of events actively fosters the
subsidies that support participation from
economy of the country like an Olympic
underdevelopment countries. In total, they
Games event, although part of the critics
have 168 countries as members.
are against the amount of investment done - for instance, in infrastructure, like the
Stated by them, expos are a dialogue
Eiffel Tower in the past.
platform from progress and cooperation. It is a space where the participants are
In Paris, there is an intergovernmental
able to showcase their experiences,
organization called BIE - Bureau
debate or participate in workshops with
International des Expositions13 that
specific questions that guides intellectual
guarantee the quality and rights of
development for the future, in order to
international expos with non commercial
come up with innovative solutions and
purposes, and with duration longer
new partnerships.
worlds fair
global impact of exhitions 50 |
Img. 26 // Urban Algae Canopy from ecoLogicStudio for EXPO2015 [http://www.ecologicstudio.com/ v2/project.php?idcat=3&idsubcat=71&idproj=147]. Retrieved 08/05/2015.
In face of that, in this field Designers can
a robot play the flute (Expo Aichi 2005) and
trigger education along with entertainment,
engaging in a debate on energy efficiency
which causes a heavy impact in a variety
in cities (Expo Astana 2017) during the
of people from all ages. “A typical day at
day, and listening to a concert of Santana
Expo would be: navigating over the Arctic
(Hanover 2000) or seeing a performance of
Ocean thanks to digital technologies
the Cirque du Soleil (Zaragoza 2008) in the
(Russian pavilion, Expo Yeosu 2012), seeing
evening.�, according to BIE13. | 51
Conclusion A possible dialog between the systemic
Museums, visitors centers, trade shows and
approach of the Nature to solve problems
all public spaces are shared environments
and the design of narrative environments
by a large quantity of people in transit, as
is already seen in the market. In addition,
a consequence, it has potential to foster
experimentations and research open new
new connections and where they can borrow
scenarios where design contributes to
new sustainable ideas and attitudes to be
the sustainability. Design, as all other
applied their daily lives. In order to achieve
disciplines, can be its own object of
that, exhibition as a medium should be
research, being investigated as an aesthetic,
designed as a hybrid space, where the
historical or methodological subject.
ubiquitous communication is built through
Nevertheless, as an applied sciences, it is
a cyberspace and a biological reality.
important practices of research through design that are driven by the cycle of life
In this new reality, methods and approaches
needs, more than by the actual linear
not only intentionally communicates the
market system. Thus, the implementation
new philosophy to the people, but also
of the research is a possible professional
create a whole new language of a engaged
opportunity that drives to innovation.
and connected society.
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qUOTATIONS
10
11 01 13 05 16
17
08
bibliography Barthelmes,C.&Oudsten,F.den.(2011).Scenography/Szenografie:MakingSpacesTalk,Projects 2002-2010 Atelier Bruckner. Ludwigsburg: Avedition Gmbh, Csi; Bilingual. 280. Blewitt,J.(2004).TheEdenProject:MakingaConnection.JournalMuseumandSociety.175189p.Retrieved21/08/2015.[https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/museumstudies/ museumsociety/documents/volumes/blewitt.pdf] Bauman,Z.(2011).DiรกlogoscomZygmuntBauman.CPFLCultura(onlinevideo).Leeds:Inglaterra [http://www.cpflcultura.com.br/2012/05/02/zygmunt-bauman-estrategias-para-a-vida/] BIE-BureauInternationaldesExpositions.[http://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/expos/ about-expos/expo-categories]. Retrieved 13/08/2015 InternationalSocietyforEcologicalEconomiecs(ISEE).TheISEE.Retrieved21/08/2015. [http://www.isecoeco.org] Kuile,C.ter.CaseStudy:EdenProject.CommonCase:TheCaseforWorkingwithValuesandFrames [http://valuesandframes.org/casestudy/eden-project/]. Retrieved 13/08/2015 LuxembourgandGreaterRegion,EuropeanCapitalofCulture2007:FinalReport.(2008) [http://www.granderegion.net/de/publications/kulturhauptstadt-2007/final_evaluation_report.pdf]. Retrieved 13/08/2015. ManziniE.&VezzoliC.(2008).DesenvolvimentodeProdutosSustentรกveis.Osrequisitos ambientais dos produtos industriais. Sรฃo Paulo: ed. EDUSP. Mau,B.,Leonard,J.,&InstitutewithoutBoundaries.(2004).Massivechange.London: Phaidon.
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qUOTATIONS
15
09
03 14 04
07
12
bibliography
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As an interdisciplinary field, design has responsibility in the improvement of the communication between the connections. It is also important to think about intelligent and creative new commands for the programmable technologies, in order to generates large complexity from simple rules, that is, bottom-up systems. But what would be the best strategies to get solutions from the “machines�? Apart from any speculation about our future, there is something in common between all the parts of this complex mechanism: it should be managed itself through the cooperation of all the parts. The huge challenge being faced by the designer in the new digital era and specialization fields are how to coordinate all the actuators of this complex system.
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