MANUFACTUM Productive Spaces for Cultural Capital
Jean-Mari Steyn 2018
D E C L A R A T I O N
I, Jean-Mari Steyn, declare that the dissertation submitted for the degree MTech (Prof) Architecture to the University of Johannesburg, apart from the help acknowledged, is my own work and has not been previously submitted to another university or institution of higher education for any other degree. Signature: Date:
AC K N O W L E D G E M E N TS
To Eric, Claudia and Muhammad Thank you for your guidance and patience through the endless Could be’s, Maybe’s and Don’t know’s around the tutorial table. Thank you for always seeing the bigger picture when I couldn’t. To Greg and Richard Thank you for the opportunity to explore my interests and the motivation to continue. To all my friends and colleagues, Thank you for your endless support and motivation, not only over the past two years but from the beginning. Aan my gesin, “Ek het al jou probleme opgelos!” - Mamma. Ongelukkig nie... “Gaan jy ooit seker wees?” - Pappa. Ongelukkig ook nie... Dankie vir al die ondersteuning en pep talks, veral oor die laaste twee jaar. Dankie vir die opofferings en geleenthede wat julle vir my gegee het. Dankie vir die kos en wasgoed.
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MANU FACTUM - Productive Spaces for Cultural Capital “Consumerism is a type of social arrangement that results from recycling mundane, permanent and so to speak ‘regime-neutral’ human wants, desires and longings into the principal propelling force of society.” -Zygmunt Bauman (2007:28)
‘Cultural capital’, a term coined by French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, refers to the ‘knowledge, skills and habits an individual accumulates over years’. According to Bourdieu (1986:241-258), cultural capital can be observed in three states: 1. The Embodied state: the knowledge that exists within an individual. 2. The Objectified state: the objects owned by an individual to demonstrate the embodied state. 3. The Institutionalised state: the way in which cultural capital is measured and evaluated. In this project, ‘cultural capital’ is explored as a series of forces that shape culture. These forces do not only influence the culture of individuals, but also influence a city’s identity, where individuals are collected and where groups of individuals choose to become related. Displays of cultural capital can be observed across the urban landscape — people, appropriated spaces, buildings and local culture. When these particular instances exhibit a specific identity, the cultural capital at play can be described as a manifestation of the ‘embodied’, an expression of inherent values communicated through aesthetic, form and event. Polish sociologist Zygmunt Bauman argues that our consumerist mindset assists in the formation of both individual and societal identity, and inadvertently, the world in which we live. In our contemporary context, this has resulted in a society that values the dominant culture and world views of those in control of production (Bauman 2007:28). Architect and academic Sam Jacob relates this theory to architecture: “Architecture remakes a small piece of the world in the image of its creators. It’s the closest you can get to the raw unedited unconscious sentiment of culture.” (Jacob 2004). As individuals and collectives, we do not exist singularly in our identity or fixed in culture; rather we exist at intersections of different identities and cultures. If the plasticity of culture and identity allows us to feel part of society in different spaces and rituals with which we associate, how does a city that is supposedly fixed in form promote an environment that actively fosters the production of culture? This proposal extends this line of enquiry, proposing an architecture that provides new and relevant spaces within our city where culture can be both produced and experienced. The project is sited on two sites in Johannesburg; Constitution Hill (a former prison, current museum and national monument, and home to the South African Constitutional Court) and The Keyes Art Mile precinct (a
recently completed commercial development of highly curated culture and retail outlets). Each space provides a moments along Johannesburg’s ‘cultural arc’. Constitution Hill is a public space that memorialises the country’s history of struggle and voices values of a new democracy. It is a significant museum and active constitutional court, a landscape that provides the space to reflect on our histories, as well as affording real participation and advocacy in a range of curated cultural events geared to promoting an awareness of contemporary Johannesburg and South African culture. The Keyes Art Mile precinct houses Africa’s oldest commercial art gallery and has become a recent ‘area-to-be-seen-in’. Through a range of curated cultural events, it promotes contemporary art, design and food cultures. At Keyes Art Mile cultural capital is traded in direct forms, from the purchasing of significant and ‘accredited’ art and design work, to the more intangible capital gained when observed in the practice of doing so. Both sites are seen to house and produce cultural capital in nuanced ways relating to the surrounding influences of their social, physical and historical contexts. Constitution Hill is underpinned by a historical narrative that many deem sensitive, almost sacred, to individuals and society. In contrast to this, Keyes Art Mile disguises consumerist culture under the practice of cultural activities. The Major Design Project is located within these two sites of differing cultural capital. It is intended as an active architectural ‘antagonist’ to the prevailing cultures, historical and consumerist, of these sites to question the importance of these sites, specifically in the way in which culture is produced and consumed. Programmatically the proposed project draws on known cultural-architectural tropes; the museum, gallery, and workshop. Drawing on the familiarity and likenesses of these typologies, the proposition aims to disrupt spatial familiarity and expectations of known cultural experiences in these spaces by proposing points of friction where culture can be questioned, explored and exchanged. The proposed architectural elements are designed physically break down over time and are open to being rebuilt to adapt to, and adopt, new cultural influences. The MDP has three primary aims: • to uncover the ways in which culture is produced in Johannesburg: • to question the power of cultural capital within the consumer city, and; • to critique the prevailing commodification of culture and cultural architectures. The project is a critique of the production and consumption of cultural capital. In this process, architecture is produced and consumed in ways that emulate cultural production, where meaning, identity, and culture are actively explored.
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Manifestare page 03 - 11
Diurnalis page 13 - 33
Culturer Capitalis page 35 - 47
Agere page 49 - 83
Disrupere page 85 - 107
Antagonizesthai page 109 - 203
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“In their cultural consumption, people are increasingly preoccuppied with the stylisation of their everyday life. In the establishment of these lifestyles, places and escpicially cities, have become central arenas for display and consumption, and they have become part of the aesthetic experience itself.� (Prieur & Savage 2011:566)
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MANIFESTARE Manifestation of Cultural Capital Cultural capital, a term coined by French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, refers to the ‘knowledge, skills and habits an individual accumulates over years’. According to Bourdieu, cultural capital can be observed in three states: I. The Embodied state: the knowledge that exists within an individual. II. The Objectified state: the objects owned by an individual to demonstrate the embodied state. III. The Institutionalised state: the way in which cultural capital is measured and evaluated. Cultural capital is not bound to the individual, but can also be found in our societies and cities at large. We consume our cities as resources of cultural capital because our aesthetic relationship with things has changed. Cultural capital is explored as a series of forces that shape the individual, society and the city. This series of work explores the manifestation of cultural capital through architecture. Constitution Hill, South Africa’s highest court located in Johannesburg, is used to explore the manifestation of cultural capital. Originally a fort for the English during the early 1900’s, Constitution Hill has taken many different forms through the history of South Africa. From fort- to prison- to ruin- to active museum and court, this palimpsest of historical, and architectural, narrative displays how our embodied cultural capital manifests itself as objects (architecture) for the display of power. These drawings explore how our embodied cultural capital manifests in our objectified cultural capital. Each drawing looks at a certain contemporary activity that takes place at Constitution Hill. Text, image, and plan are used to construct these drawings. Text: explores the narratives of the different activities placed in Constitution Hill. Plan: locates these activities Image: places contemporary activities in the historical narratives. Manifestare — make public. Title originates from the word Manisfestation - an event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something abstract or theoretical. 3
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D I U R N A L I S A field trip and a field journal
“A field journal is essential to a scientist’s fieldwork. When you go into the field, you will record all your observations, thoughts and questions in your field journal.” -(Unknown, Unknown) A field journal has long been a tradition of scientists and explorers and is engraved into the culture of an architect. On a trip across transverse territories, this journal was created, capturing and reflecting upon that experience, but also on that of the year to come. This journal is an active archive, a tool used in the process of making and understanding. Sometimes used as a tool for processing thoughts, other times as a reflection on past series of work, sometimes as a tool for productive procrastination. The journal has been carefully crafted over the year and can be read as curated collection of work.
Diurnalis - originally denoting a book containing the appointed times of daily prayers Title originates from the word Journal — a daily record of news and events of a personal nature. 13
Durban Harbour | March 2018 | Photo by aurthor 14
Durban Harbour | March 2018 | Photo by aurthor 15
Durban CBD | March 2018 | Photo by aurthor 16
Durban Train Station| March 2018 | Photo by aurthor 17
CULTURER.CAPITALIS Production, consumption and commodification
Displays of cultural capital can be observed across the urban landscape — in people, appropriated spaces, buildings, and local culture. Two sites are identified for their differing expressions of cultural capital; Constitution Hill, Braampark Johannesburg, and The Keyes Art Mile precinct, Rosebank Johannesburg. Constitution Hill, a public space, is a significant museum and active constitutional court. It memorialises history and advocates for a new democracy. It provides a landscape to reflect on our histories as well as participation in a range of curated cultural events promoting an awareness of contemporary Johannesburg and South African culture. The Keyes Art Mile precinct houses Africa’s oldest commercial art gallery, Everard Read gallery, and is a recent ‘area-to-beseen-in’. The precinct also hosts a range of curated cultural events promoting art and design. Both sites produce and consume cultural capital in nuanced ways. This series of work explores the production, consumption, and commodification of cultural capital in the consumerist city, Johannesburg, focusing on Constitution Hill and the Keyes Art Mile precinct.
Capitalis — relating to the head or top. Title originates from the words Culture — the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. Capital — a valuable resource of a particular kind. 35
Production of Cultural capital
From a young age, our individual cultural capital is moulded by our experience of the world (communities, society, and city). Different forms of cultural capital influence us, as we grow older, our personal cultural capital helps to mould our communities. With the collaboration and influences of outside forces, we shape the cultural capital of our societies and our cities. This in turn influence and shape our cultural capital. Thus, the production of individual and societal cultural capital is always in progress.
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Multi-media drawing | Print, watercolour, thread & clear film. 37
Production of Cultural landscape
Culture is simultaneously fixed and fluid. This duality of culture shapes our cultural landscape. Keyes Art Mile and Constitution Hill play an influential part of the contemporary culture in Johannesburg, even though their origins could not be more different. The Everard Read gallery and Constitution Hill both have their origins in the early 1900s. The Everard Read gallery has been a patron of contemporary South African art. Throughout history, its aim was to ‘stimulate the taste and sophistication of art collectors’ and country, especially during the isolated apartheid years. It played an important part in the establishment of the Keyes Art Mile precinct. Constitution Hill started as a fort and transformed into a modern-day court and museum. It is a palimpsest of political power in Johannesburg. Drawing a section through the histories of these sites, their influence on our cultural landscape is clear — the preservation of our cultural landscape.
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Multi-media drawing | Print, watercolour, thread, ink transfer & clear film. 39
Concrete, resin, and wax cast exploring cultural capital and cultural landscape.
Detail of Production of cultural landscape drawing
Concrete, resin, and clay casts exploring cultural landscapes.
Concrete, resin, and clay casts exploring ‘cultural landscape’
The commodification of cultural capital
Constitution Hill and Keyes Art Mile commodify culture in very different ways, one intangible the other tangible. At Constitution Hill an exchange of embodied cultural capital takes place; monetary value is exchanged for a tour and the insights of an expert. At Keyes Art Mile cultural capital is exchanged in direct forms of objectified cultural capital; monetary value is exchanged for cultural objects.
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Concrete, resin, wax, and clay casts exploring cultural capital and cultural landscapes.
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Actors in the production of culture
Observing Constitution Hill and Keyes Art Mile, various actors can be identified in the production and consumption processes. The three main actors in the production of culture are: 1. The Instigator 2. The Patron 3. The Observer These three actors play various roles in the production process: The Instigator — initiates cultural activities. The Patron — commodifies culture in various ways. The Observer — participates in cultural activities through observation. These actors programmatically personify three different cultural-architectural tropes : 1. The instigator is a workshop where cultural exchanges with the aim of producing something, tangible or intangible, takes place. 2. The patron is a gallery where cultural objects are exchanged for monetary value. 3. The observer is a museum where culture can be observed and reflected upon. Each of these tropes is investigated through the typology each represents. Each typology is broken down into three fragments that represent a significant part of the composition of the typology. These fragments are turned into icons and reconstructed as a comment on the trope through the typology. Trope: “a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression”. Typology: “a classification according to general type, especially in archaeology, psychology, or the social sciences”.
Agere — do, act Title originates from the word Actor — a participant in an action or process. 49
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Concrete casts exploring fragmens of cultural-architectural trope.
Museum
‘A building in which objects of historical, scientific, artistic or cultural interest are stored and exhibited.’ Fragments: 1. Permanent exhibition 2. Monumentality 3. Entertainment
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Permenant Exhibition
Monum
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mentality
Entertainment
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Permenant Exhibition
Monum
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mentality
Entertainment
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A museum, even though intended to share their stories and histories with the masses, perpetuate a culture in one narrative set out by those in power. A level of embodied cultural capital is required to fully understand the narrative told.
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3D Print translation of drawing 61
Gallery
Gallery: ‘A room or building for the display or sale of works of art.’ Fragments: 1. Shopfront 2. Gallery corner 3. Shop
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Shop Front
Gallery
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Corner
Shop
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Shop Front
Gallery
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Corner
Shop
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Even though galleries house various artists and cultures, as with a museum, usually one ‘cultural style’ is perpetuated. Different voices in cultural dialogues struggle to find footing in institutions that determine what culture is deemed as valued and important, creating an attitude that certain culture is less than others.
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3D Print translation of drawing 71
Workshop
‘A room or building in which goods are manufactured or repaired.’ Fragments: 1. Spaces of production 2. Collective vs individual 3. Industrial vs urban
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Spaces of production
Collective v
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vs Individual
Industrial vs urban
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Spaces of production
Collective v
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vs Individual
Industrial vs urban
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Workshops can take many forms, individual creation to collective creation. Sometimes it happens in the public eye and sometimes as isolated individual expressions. Various people contribute to the production process of a workshop, individuals, communities, societies and even cities. These are influenced by museum and gallery tropes that which the masses deem important and valued stays in production while others fight to be recognised and produced.
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3D Print translation of drawing 81
The cultural-architectural tropes investigated produce culture and cultural capital in very different ways. The typologies on the other hand overlap in the ways which cultural capital is produced. All the typologies contain elements of the different cultural-architectural tropes. Both sites, though constructed from different typologies, make use of the different culturalarchitectural tropes in their production processes. Constitution Hill, a museum, systematically mimics the gallery trope when a tour is sold to an individual. Keyes Art Mile, consisting of gallery typologies, systematically mimics the museum trope when visited and observed. As culture can be classified as simultaneously fixed and fluid, the processes on cultural sites also become both fixed and in motion in the way they are able to produce and consume culture in the same space.
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D I S R U P E R E Disrupting cultures and narratives
Constitution Hill and Keyes Art Mile are two of the identifiable ‘cultural pods’ found along Johannesburg’s ‘Cultural Arc’. Keyes Art Mile and Constitution Hill were broken down into a series of meaningful parts to question the narratives about culture and the production of culture. This series antagonises the process of the production and consumption of culture by taking key elements that speak to the meaning, narrative, and persona of the architecture and turning them into symbols and maquette. These symbols and maquettes were used to deconstruct and disrupt existing narratives on each site. These themes include: - Historic narrative turned artefact - Change in narrative - Archive - Materiality - Exhibition space - Institution - Icon - Observation - Access These themes were turned into objects and symbols and used to reconstruct Constitution Hill and Keyes Art Mile to capture the essence of how they function as sites of cultural production and consumption. Through these reconstructions, the existing narratives were explored and methods of disruption were uncovered: - The position of the institution in the production and consumption and significance of ‘valued’ culture; - Display of production of culture over that of consumption; - Ways in which access and observation to culture.
Disrupere — broken apart Title originates from the word Disrupt — drastically alter or destroy the structure of. 85
Constitution Hill and Keyes Art Mile are two of the identifiable ‘cultural pods’ found along Johannesburg’s ‘cultural arc’.
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Concrete casts exploring narrative, meaning and persona.
Historic narrative turned artifact
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Mater
riality
Exhibition space
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Historic narrative turned artifact
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Mater
riality
Exhibition space
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Institution
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graphy
Observation
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Institution
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graphy
Observation
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Access
Changing
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g narrative
Archive
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Access
Changing
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g narrative
Archive
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Methods of disruption
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The position of the institution in the production and consumption and significance of ‘valued’ culture.
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Display of production of cultu
ure over that of consumption
Ways in which access and observation to culture
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Constitution Hill and Keyes Art Mile reconstructed through the methods of disruption and fragments.
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A N TAG O N I Z E S T H A I An architectural antagonist
The architectural antagonist takes form on two sites of differing cultural capital, Constitution Hill, a site of historical culture, and Keyes Art Mile, a site of consumerist culture. The imagined architecture is an intervention on each site that physically breaks down and deteriorate, either through human interaction or the forces of nature. Each intervention draws on the culture of the other to create points of friction where alternative meaning, identity and culture can be explored..
Antagonizesthai — struggle against Title originates from the word Antagonist — a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something 109
Concrete, clay and thread cast exploring decay. 110
Concrete, clay and thread cast exploring decay 111
Concrete, clay and thread cast exploring decay 112
Concrete, clay and thread cast exploring decay 113
“ ‘Formless’ does not mean the absence of form, for preservation certainly depends on pre-existing architectural forms, but while preservation aesthetic’s respond to the existing building’s form, they do not change it. Instead they supplement it with new interpretive frames altering the reception of its cultural meaning.” (Koolhaas, 2009)
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Site Plan: A | Keyes Art Mile B | Constitution Hill 116
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K EY ES. A RT. M I L E Keyes Art Mile, a site of consumerist culture draws from the culture of Constitution Hill. The intervention focusses on the ritual of memorial. The route of the memorial is placed next to the most consumed space of Keyes Art Mile, the restaurant shopfront. A constant interaction is created between the consumers of Keyes Art Mile and the memorial goer. As time passes the intervention will naturally break down to leave only pieces of the intervention. The intervention becomes part of the urban fabric and provides for an opportunity to be rebuilt and reinterpreted.
Circa Gallery | June 2018 | Photo by aurthor 119
Circa Gallery | June 2018 | Photo by aurthor 121
Circa Gallery | June 2018 | Photo by aurthor 122
Circa Gallery | June 2018 | Photo by aurthor 123
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Site plan of intervention and point of friction 125
The intervention aims to create moment of interaction between people of different cultures to create conversations about culture, historical sites and identity.
Culture in the context of the work refers to the communication of values through implicit and explicit symbols and rituals. 126
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3 Image thinners and ink transfer of Contemplation space 129
Contemplation space A space where individuals or collectives can choose to interact. The space is constructed out of different layers of concrete differing in strenght and durability that allows it to wash away over a period of 5 - 10 years, leaving fragments of the past to create conversations for the future.
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Contemplation space | before decay 131
Contemplation space | in process of decay 132
Contemplation space | fragments left after decay 133
Image sequence used to make ink transfer prints
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3 Image colour ink transfer of Contemplation space
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Rockset, Powercrete and Plaster of paris cast to investigate decaying materiality 137
Rockset, Powercrete and Plaster of paris cast treated with acid and home-made clay 138
Rockset, Powercrete and Plaster of paris cast treated with acid, home-made clay and pressure hose 139
3 Image thinners and ink transfer of Memorial route 141
Memorial route A route inspired by sacred architecture. The route is constructed out of layers of hanging stained glass and sugar glass. As the sugar glass deteriorate only the stain glass remains.
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Memorial route | before decay 143
Memorial route | in process of decay 144
Memorial route | fragments left after decay 145
Image sequence used to make ink transfer prints
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3 Image colour ink transfer of Memorial route
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Concrete, resin, string and sugar glass cast to investigate decaying materiality 149
Concrete, resin, string and sugar glass cast to investigate decaying materiality 150
Concrete, resin, string and sugar glass cast to investigate decaying materiality 151
3 Image thinners and ink transfer of Reflection space 153
Reflection space A space where individuals or collectives can choose to interact. The space is constructed out of a Cor-ten steel structure incased in different layers of concrete differing in strenght and durability that allows it to wash away over a period of 5 - 10 years, leaving a Cort-ten steel structure.
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Reflection space | before decay 155
Reflection space | in process of decay 156
Reflection space | nearing end of decay 157
Image sequence used to make ink transfer prints
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3 Image colour ink transfer of Reflection Space
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Rockset, Powercrete and Plaster of paris, triplex and rust enhancer cast to investigate decaying materiality 161
Rockset, Powercrete and Plaster of paris, triplex and rust enhancer cast treated with home-made clay and pressure hose 162
Rockset, Powercrete and Plaster of paris, triplex and rust enhancer cast treated with home-made clay and pressure hose 163
CONSTITUTION.HILL Constitution Hill, a site of historical culture, draws from the culture of Keyes Art Mile. The intervention focusses on the leisure element of Keyes Art Mile. A public pool is introduced at the entrance of the museum. An interaction between museum goers and leisure seekers are created. The intervention is seasonal and breaks down through human interaction. The intervention leaves a memory in the existing urban fabric, providing a space for future interventions.
Constitution Hill | February 2018 | Photo by aurthor 165
Constitution Hill | February 2018 | Photo by aurthor 167
Constitution Hill | February 2018 | Photo by aurthor 168
Constitution Hill | February 2018 | Photo by aurthor 169
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Site plan of intervention and point of friction 171
The intervention aims to create moment of interaction between people of different cultures to create conversations about culture, historical sites and identity.
Culture in the context of the work refers to the communication of values through implicit and explicit symbols and rituals. 172
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3 Image thinners and ink transfer of Public pool 175
Public pool At the entrance of the museum space at the court, an urban intervention is made. The ground level is disrupted and turned into a park with a few public pools. Each year at the end of August a series of pools are inserted into the park.
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Public pool at the beginning of summer 177
Public pool towards the end of summer 178
Public park during the winter 179
Image sequence used to make ink transfer prints
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3 Image colour ink transfer of Public pool
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Fold-out booklet used to explore deconstruction of public pool 183
3 Image thinners and ink transfer of Public pool 185
A part of the existing museum is demolished to make space for the pool, creating a direct link between the museum goer and the leisure seeker.
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Public pool and park at the beginning of summer 187
Public pool and park towards the end of summer 188
Public park during the winter 189
Image sequence used to make ink transfer prints
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3 Image colour ink transfer of Public pool
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Fold-out booklet used to explore deconstruction of public pool 193
3 Image thinners and ink transfer of Public pool 195
At the end of summer, the pool is packed up and space is made for different social activities to take place in the park. Some of the pools are turned into sand pits and kids play parks, while one remains to mitigate the space between the demolished museum and the park.
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Public pool with permanent water feature at the beginning of summer 197
Public pool and park towards the end of summer 198
Public park during the winter 199
Image sequence used to make ink transfer prints
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3 Image colour ink transfer of Public pool
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Fold-out booklet used to explore deconstruction of public pool 203
R E F E R E N C E S
Books/Writings: Bauman, Z. 2007. Consuming Life. Cambridge: Polity Press. Bourdieu, P. 1986. The Forms of Capital, in Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education, edited by J Richardson. New York: Greenwood: 241-258. Buchli, V. 2004. Material Culture: Critical Concepts in the Social Sciences, Volume 2. London: Routledge. Prieur, A., & Savage, M. (2011). Updating cultural capital theory: a discussion based on studies in Denmark and in Britain. Poetics 39(6):566-580. Levi-Strauss, C. 1978. Myth and Meaning. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Online: Jacob, S. 2004. It’s a Small World. [O]. Available: http://www.strangeharvest.com/2004/10/its-a-smallworld.php Accessed 19 March 2018. Koolhaas, R. 2009. Preservation is overtaking us. [O]. Available: https://www.arch.columbia.edu/books/reader/6preservation-is-overtaking-us Accessed 19 August 2018. Unknown. Unknown. How to keep a field journal. [O]. Available: http://www.http://cemarin.ucanr.edu/files/220523.pdf Accessed 29 August 2018.
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