In Fluxus Re Fluxus
We take the Triennale exhi biti on as an opportuni ty to la y down a reflexi ve look over the wa y we represent, design and ul tima tel y decide how to cons truct the l a ndscape. Our proposal is, in essence, a Ma nifes t; a provoca ti ve view over the ques tions of "what a re we doing?" and "how we a re doing i t?�. Moreover, we percei ve i t to be an eideti c a cti va tor, openi ng a whole field for intera ction, whi ch will allow the col lection of reaction registries about our main concerns. The complex reali ty of lands cape is simul taneousl y substratctum and instrumentum, both engaged in continuous and dynami c change processes. It is a terri tory, never consolida ted or finished, where manmade and na tural occurrences a re permanentl y in negotia tion. This process is both uni versal and local as i t convenes energeti c i nputs of di fferent origi n and quality, along wi th na tural fluxes and configura tions , themsel ves intertwined wi th the site’s pa rti cula r contextual and cul tural uniqueness. It is composed of dynami c, heterogeneous and i nterlinked open subsystems and their reciprocal relations.
The found na tural and anthropi c processes are both s ys temi c and reciprocal , and chara cteri zed by several sta ges of va rying intensity. The acti va ti on of these processes resul ts from the intera ction and exchanges between actors and elements, whi ch can assume inter-mutable roles, promoted by the cha ra cter and identi ty di fferentials of the elements . The set upflows a re continuous , fluid and transient, possessing thei r own takts and rhythms . This dynami c is developed in a temporal series tha t, subsequentl y, expresses i tself both s pa tially a nd culturally.
Strategy The s tra tegi c a tti tude of our proposal is implici tl y hinged and focused on the theme CLOSE CLOSER, which is trans versally present in all the intervention. We interpret CLOSE as the opportuni ty to hold, retain, suspend, delimi ta te and STOP, i n order to get CLOSER, uncover, grasp, adjust and move to APPROACH. “Stop-Approa ch” is the moment of pause and introspection; it is the reappropria tion reflected from the reality and the capture of the atti tude in the presence of something pri ma ril y passi ve. The s tra tegy is supported by selected and condensed informati on, and will offer i ts experience by pa rts i n order to a l low a deeper relation to each of the focused i deas. Methodology The methodology of this proposal is developed from the idea of a process unfolding, and based on the a forementioned concept. The stra tegy “StopApproa ch” is subjacent to every s ta ge of the proposal. It is revealed to the publ ic in three distinct a nd complementary moments: The fi rst one is focalization: the focusing of the attention on a piece of text, the manifesto, which will be displa yed in the Palace’s entrance hall . The message will be tra nsmi tted in an asserti ve, but a t the same time twisted, wa y (gi ven by the plasti c composi tion of the textual language and also by i ts content), assuming nothing about the wa y ea ch person will apprehend i t. The inverted text will be vi rtuall y reproduced by a mi rror, pla ced on the opposite wall, thus requi ring the observer to regress. This will lead to the i gni ting moment of the process: the rupture with passivi ty. The second moment is spatialization: the language will be manipula ted, presupposing the concepts to be provi ded by text and sound. They will be dis tributed in va rious spaces of the palace, ta king advanta ge of i ts organi c and confi gura tion a ttributes . The conveyed thoughts will develop the ma tters provided ea rlier by the manifesto, ea ch of them being relegated to one of the eight rooms . This will end up in a contemplati ve, reflexi ve and deepened subjecti ve apprehension of each of the explored concepts . Ea ch room will feature a key ta g (label ; supers cription) tha t includes the room na me and a bri ef information about the concept.
The thi rd and last moment is the figuration of the process unfoldi ng concept, whi ch underlies the whole proposal. It is rea ched through the ma terializa tion of an intera cti ve object – an ins tallation – set in the courtya rd. This object will be dynami c and enable an a wareness appropria tion of the spa ce – Reacti on – igni ted by the previous moments – Action. The natural elements – the Trees – will expand, cons tructing a flexible web, whi ch can be disturbed and physi call y a mended by the people’s fluxes.
|Palace Sinel de Cordes’s location at different scales of territory The concepts conveyed by the manifesto a re posteri orl y developed throughout the Palace’s rooms , according to i ts organi c, in wha t consti tutes the moment of s pa tialization. Looking a t Lisbon, where the Palace of Sinel de Cordes is loca ted, i t’s possible to veri fy the vehemence of the concepts covered. Thus, with the occurrence of processes and flows rela ted to these concepts, this conceptual approa ch throughout the proposal is implemented in the ci ty i tself. The study concludes from an anal ysis performed a t three levels – the terri tory (the surroundings of the main ci ty), the ci ty i tself and the site (the space tha t surrounds the Palace, whi ch contributes
mos t to i ts i denti ty). All of the na tural , spa tial and anthropogeni c s ys tems are s tudied a t ea ch of these l evels. It was observed that, a t ea ch s cale, some points reveal more magnetism than others – pa rti cula rl y the ones whose na tural and anthropogeni c occurrences ha ve greater prominence and i mporta nce, wi th dispersion and a ccumulati on cha racteris ti cs. Yet the identity of the s i te ca n change this simultaneity. The magneti c points a t the terri tory level a re the topographi c relief set of Sintra – Castle of São Jorge – Monsanto – Arrábida-Palmela, Lisbon’s Center and Mar
da Palha (pa rt of the Tagus River); a t the ci ty level , we can find the set Avenida da Liberdade - Avenida Almirante Reis, the Downtown, Concha de Alfama, Castle of São Jorge and Mar da Palha; finall y, a t the local level we note the National Pantheon, Santa Clara Campus, the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora, Santa Apolónia Station, the set of viewpoints Stª Luzia, Portas do Sol, Stº Estevão, Graça and Nossa Senhora do Monte, Castle of São Jorge a nd Mar da Palha. The pa rti cula r cases of the Castle of São Jorge and Mar da Palha a re tra nsversal points to the three scales.
Focalization|
STOP! Slow down. Focus the unfocused, the gray middle of your daily commute. No Nature, no Man. No Man, no Landscape. Seek the dynamic balance, find the symbiosis. Learn, raise it up. Crisis is opportunity, the turning point of the process. Take it over! Temporality promotes and inherits the conscious instant. Weigh that instant. You are a part of an unfolding process. Act, React, acknowledge. The Limit is closed and defined, open and flexible. Test it! You are uprooted. Become aware of the territory’s integrity. Perceive its identity. APPROACH.
Simulation of the manifesto
Text| Spatialization|
Territoriality Terri toriali ty as an atti tude, is i n crisis, people a re uprooted and aliena ted, indifferent to spa tial and ti me notions. The terri tory needs to be percei ved i n i ts totali ty and uni ty, unders tanding i ts elements , dynami cs, forms and functi ons . Its comprehension will lead to new wa ys of a ppropriati on, valori za tion and rela tion, thus terri toriali ty a cqui res an ins trumental cha racter, as for the development of the contemporary relational s ystems.. Sound: A voi ce lists the ma gneti c points of the terri tory, wi th the propose of contextualize spa tially and temporall y the Palace. The speakers are aligned wi th the four ca rdinal points, ea ch of them refers to the points i n thei r direction.
Homeostasis The landscape is an arti fa ct tra ced by culture and time, produced by Man in his rela tion wi th Nature’s logi cs. Observi ng the terri tory, i t is pa tent how anthropi c fluxes a re preferentiall y deri ved from the na tural ones, following and reinterpreti ng i ts processes and logi cs. Being so, Ma n and Nature a re indissociable and interdependent. The fi rs t devel ops his continuousl y renewed na ture, based on the respect, apprenti ceship and understanding of this bond, building and i ntegra ted and ha rmoni ous i dentity.
Sound: Sound of tuning forks accompanied by voi ce tuning attempts (endea vor of accomplish identi ty a nd equilibrium)
Enclose|
Action|
Disclose
Reaction
The sped up life and the commuting movements , elect the des tinati ons as the onl y ta rget, whi ch leads towards a grey spa ce, wi thout proper cons cience of the “wa y”, getting the intermedia te spa ce lost in the bus tle. Therefore, i t is urgent the claim of this gra y/blurry spa ce, disclosing i t, permi tting the awa reness of i ts na ture, wi th the intention of i ts reappropria tion, revela tion and interpreta tion. Its acti va tion, and the a rising of new rhythms permi t a reapproa ch, contri buting to a conti nuous a nd non-fragmented territory Sound: Imperceptible whispering (tha t arises curi osity a nd invi tes the a pproach)
Action-rea ction represents the commuting rela tions between interdependent elements of a process. Action corresponds to the moment of contemplation, assessment and assimilation. Rea ction is the consequence, the approach. Action implies an energy boos t, capable of turnning reflecti on and assimilation into a cts . Informed a cting triggers a process and an unpredi ctable, however s tructured, response. The genera tion of a dynami c i ntegri ty requi res coherent actions, and the ability to anti cipa te, enhance and take a dvantage of its return Sound: Repeti ti ve “go, go, go…“ sound recorded wi th a growing pace (encouraging a n action)
Crisis Crisis - economi cal , of values, of identity, of ideals, of s pace, of resources , of terri toriali ty, of proximi ty, of rela tions - as an opportuni ty for change and i mprovement, for valori za tion of the essential, perfectioning of form and content. The momenta ry cons traints ma y work as propellants for new potentials, perhaps ri ches t in thei r essence. Therefore, crisis is a li mi t in i tself invi ting to i ts own overcoming, gi vi ng the opportuni ty- and this is the key word, opportuni ty- to a plurali ty of new dynamics. Sound: The sound s ys tem is disconnected as if i t is wai ting for an a cti va tion (demons tra ting the transitory chara cter of cri s is as a hiatus)
Limit The limi t is , at the same time, the opportunity to focus , a cknowledge, settle, open, a rti cula te and trans cend. It is intensi vel y acti va ted by di fferentials and the fluxes crossing its contours , constantl y called i nto questi on for i ts posi tioni ng, na ture, importance, shape and functi on. It allows an unders tanding of the contents, the differences, and the simila ri ties. It is alwa ys closed and defined, open and flexible. The process li ves upon the capaci ty to define and question limi ts , taki ng advanta ge of the added value promoted by the excha nge. Ca mpo de Santa Clara , where this palace is loca ted, is a pa radi gm of the mutability of limi t contours . Ers twhile, i t was considered as an outski rt of the ci ty, since i t was right next one of the ancient walls’ ga tes, nowada ys , i t can be included in the his tori cal center of Lisbon. Furthermore, trade has alwa ys been a ma jor cha ra cteristi c of this pla ce, as the word “ca mpo� sugges ts , i t once was a court for tra de and exchange between ci ty and the rural surroundings, toda y it is the sta ge of the mos t vi vi d flea ma rket of Li s bon. Sound: Ea r limi t frequency test, from bass to upper limit of human ear (individual l imits)
Time Time is the fourth di mension of lands cape, being an intrinsi c and indissociable fa ctor of i ts dynami cs . Ti me is conceptually considered as a reciprocal rela tion between tempora riness and temporality. Tempora riness rela tes to moments , i nstants , whi ch can work as ca tal yst of events liable to a cqui re, cumulati vel y, temporal depth and mea ning. On the other hand, temporali ty is a resul t of a contemplati ve, trans versal and cumula ti ve reading, i t refers to the awa reness of heri tage, impact and permanence. . Hence, temporali ty is the selecti ve and cons cious sedimentati on of fra mes of the process. Sound: Repeti ti ve ti c-ta c sound wi th di fferent frequency (allowing the notion of di verse cadence a nd rhythms)
2nd Nature The lands cape is an a rti fact tra ced by culture and time, produced by Man in his relati on wi th Na ture’s l ogi cs . Observi ng the terri tory, i t is pa tent how anthropi c fluxes are preferentially deri ved from the na tural ones , following and reinterpreting i ts processes and logi cs . Being so, Man and Na ture a re indissociable and interdependent. The fi rst develops his continuousl y renewed na ture, based on the respect, apprenti ceship and unders tanding of this bond, building and integra ted and ha rmonious i dentity. Sound: Na tural and anthropic sounds graduall y overlap, increasing or decreasing thei r intensi ty (representing flow’s accumulation a nd dispersion)
Figuration|
The visi tor, a fter reading, listening and experienci ng manifes to’s matters , inside the palace, is now put to test, the attempt of awa reness is tes ted, and the a ction towa rds the outdoor spa ce is expected as a rea ction, representi ng the fi guration of the i dea. The materializa tion of the previ ousl y expressed concepts , cul mina tes in an intera cti ve piece of s culpture developed on the courtya rd of the palace, whi ch will suffer transformations duri ng the peri od of the exhibi tion, in whi ch the trees (natural chara cter) present in the spa ce will represent the na tural fluxes, while elasti c stri ngs (tra nsformed cha ra cter) will represent the anthropi c fl uxes.
Simulation of courtyard installation
The courtya rd is the palace’s pla ce where the relation with the outer space (the surroundings ) has the lowes t intensi ty, the specifi ci ty of the enclosed courtya rd, canceling the context notions , is ideal for the trans cendence and the imageabili ty of the global spatial fluxes. This is why the courtya rd i t is the elected site to work on the terri torial integra tion, invoki ng spa tial fluxes, l eading to the rooting the site and the seaming with its surroundings.
Al l the connections, due to their elastic nature, allow deformation a nd a n i ntense i nteraction with the visitor creating a floating relation between the a gent/element of a process. These roles permute, a nd a same unity plays s i multaneously, both agent and element i n a n interdependent network of rel a tions, affecting a nd being affected by the unfolding of the process..
The visi tor will hesita te at fi rs t, but gradually intera ct wi th the spa ce, becoming awa re of his role as a piece of a process of unders tanding and al tera tion of the lands cape. The elas tic links , due to thei r position and tension, ha ve di fferent levels of resistance, and this unpredi ctable result is consequence of the a cti on/reaction of the visitor and his conscious a pproach.
Simulation of courtyard installation
Fol lowing this idea, a web of connections between the trees and multiple poi nts of the courtya rd is s et, giving s hape to an apparently illogical structure whi ch crosses the space a nd hinders the movement around it. However, the s tructure is based on three major fluxes, all of them having an intense a nd key rol e i n the mould, generation a nd ruling of the landscape. Thus the prevailing wi nd, the sun light, a nd the water drainage are the fluxes represented by the s cul pture.
Simulation of courtyard installation
Section of courtyard installation