The following is a fictional magazine entry from the year 2084; giving a glimpse at the past year of the 2030s and the ART CITY MOVEMENT. This entry was created as a visual media exercise practicing different layouts, renderings and design given an unlimeted parameter, of establishing an idea from a futuristic world.
Written By: Edward Whitley
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old revolution post circa 2033
The art city movement was a cultural phenomenon that altered the social conditions of the planet substantially, and to a large degree only over the past 45 years. This movement simultaneously inspired a deconstruction and creation in the human race that has seemed to have endured in contemporary life. A look back at the conception of this revolution makes it obvious as to why the world is the way it is now. Abuse of power, degradation of the environment, gluttony in consumption was all typical in day to day life. After the movement, violence and anger became concepts of the past, and even became myth in the minds of the young. The art city movement changed our world, and painted it in a new light. During the great war, the world suffered from every aspect. There was significant loss and serious desperation during those times. As the war spread throughout the world quickly, there wasn’t really much time to allow the consequences of mass destruction
to be properly considered. Neither was much recorded during that era because of the digital implosion. Nothing was accessible, and nothing could prepare humanity for what was to come. Economic infrastructures and social environments of the first world countries to the third world were thrown into turmoil. As always, there were no real victors of the war, only survivors. The world afterward was desolate, and under a strict regime in order to try to regain what once was. The efforts of surviving leadership elements lead to a communal world order, and its governing principles were that no one should gain disproportionately over others, and in all things. Under these circumstances, the world was led through productavist means, it was done so with a profound lack of any aesthetic element or consideration. Nothing done was solely for the benefit of an individual; it was for the purposes of aiding and uplifting the many. Utilitarianism had been the governmental and
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Gillian piche Brett Sanderson Byron Marks Kinan Salamah Jess Hall Ted James Miley Cyrus Devon WOlfe Lili TyefI Elizabeth Daniels
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policing strategy across the globe. Design, arts, and expression were considered dead. Anything to be completed was to be done to create anything as efficiently as possible, and nothing had colour. It was a joyless time. Although the joy was minimal the effort found success through the reimmergence of human knowledge, technology, economy and society. The world was beginning to form again under human development, but human enjoyment was being sacrificed in the meantime. The art city movement recognized two fundamental things about the way the human condition had evolved. One was that humanity functioned as one living organism made up of many. The other was the recognition that art is as essential to human survival as food and shelter.
as well as different mechanical and infrastructure services. But these were introduced slowly and tentatively, to ensure that the frailties of the human race wouldn’t become captive to crude measures of resolving conflict again. Through these new technological introductions, and the productavist regime, a small group of revolutionaries emerged Group of
Design, arts, and expression were considered dead.
Ten. The members included: Gillian, Brett, Byron, Kinan, Jess, Ted, Miley, Devon, Lili, and Elizabeth. This syndicate began changing the streetscapes of their cities by the introduction of beauty as the foremost principle governing the relationship of people to their As this age progressed there was surroundings. This group was still a strong residue of knowledge celebrated by the public as they of a time before, of a time seemed to provide a service to the characterized by artistic expression. community that went beyond mere And as the world progressed past delivery of essential services. These its catastrophic upheavals, some revolutionaries were painting, of the old technologies began spraying, printing, assembling, to re-emerge, such as digital deconstructing , demolishing and and computational methods
reinventing the city. Their actions would add their own brand of design to store fronts, people’s homes, government buildings, and so on. Initially, the reception was one of question and wonder. Some of it was thought to be wasteful. For some time, there was a significant portion of the people which had forgotten what aesthetics could contribute, and what it held for the human spirit. Value systems were however in a state of change, perhaps as a reaction to war and conflict and incessant greed, values seemingly ingrained in the human population. The important aspect of the art city movement that separated it from modern graffiti or frivolous ornamentation was the awareness of the need for individual expression in human presence. The membership of the art city movement was fundamentally democratic. Everybody could participate. The actions taken by individuals in their expressions established an expectation of respect in the responses by those who perceived them. The
movement relied on balance between the expression and the interpretation, resulting in a respectful relationship that had much broader implications for civilized society. None of the work was placed or forced onto any buildings. This too was part of the reason for the great public response. A norm of reciprocal courtesy began to emerge. Once this awareness and positivity began to transpire in the early stages of the movement, national and local governments wanted to establish their own parameters. Through their intervention, some ground rules were attempted to be put in place limiting public expression, but the purists stuck to their initial stance and maintained the importance of the guiding principles in the movement.
end of the war street art expression REemerges in the world through a small group of revolutionaries expression and demolition is celebrated and promoted through propaganda and media
2036
holland legally approves free-form construction across the city
the rest of the world accepts free form construction
2032
2033
2033-2035
construction time is dramatically decreased. Demolition is increased
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2039
The movement relied on balance between the expression and interpretation, resulting in a respectful relationship that had much broader implications for civilized society.
Building 2589: Art City Operation # 32
The first captured essence in the art city movement was the rehabilitation to Building 2589, titled Art City Operation # 32. The reform conducted to the building included a massive demolition of the first three stories of the atrium, which opened the building up to the street scape, and public realm. Further add-ons were done by Lili Teyefi, as she mounted two
large colourful blocks of livable operating spaces for the buildings occupants. From there the public continued to play with the building’s façade, altering colours, window materials, and different patterns and portraits. Through the ages the building has become completely unrecognizable from its initial construction, and even beyond Operation #32. The human
population have taken over its care, as with many other buildings in the movement. As the movement took hold, advancements in construction technology were made in regard to building rehabilitation, and structure assembly, as well as the speed at which construction could take place was dramatically
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increased. This increase actually changed the nature of free artistic expression in that time formerly spent on building methods now could be freed up for more complex artistic expression. The advancements occurred primarily in the year 2037, and the effects could be seen immediately. Now people were building and changing as fast as they could tear down, rebuild, and paint. The focus on design and beauty was a constant dynamic throughout cities. There was no common ground in this “newâ€? world beyond the expectation that all would participate and appreciate what creative possibilities could be explored. Everyone was joining in. The lines between artist and viewer became blurred. The only drawback to this constant change in the perception of art and the need to re-design, was the risk of pushing aside too quickly what had been created. Sometimes, the art that had been finished, was immediately destroyed, altered or completely changed within a couple days. Yet even this drawback was considered to express the fleeting design that is a function of life itself. This movement truly is best expressed in the clichĂŠ that most important aspect of life lies in the journey, not in the destination. Our communities in the end become simply a blank canvas for greater and different aesthetic opportunities, opportunities solely expressed through experience.