Concept Development
Fig 1
Stage 1: Immortalising the Alternative Story
Stage 2: Interplanetary Womb
In order to uncover the concept of my Stage 3 project I reflected on the themes of previous projects- feminism, gender, patriarchy, science fiction, kitsch and transhumanism had all became key components of my research and I felt it important to continue the exploration of such topics through the medium of Interior Design. A particular interest of mine throughout the Masters programme has been combining the female body with architectural and Interior structures and mechanisms. Furthermore I have aimed to create alternative feminine narratives which challenge the masculine narrative of society.
Fig 3
My stage 2 project revolved around designing an Artificial Womb where babies are grown situated on Mars, the topic of Artificial Wombs covers a lot of my interests such as feminism, Science Fiction and transhumanism. Artificial Wombs naturally challenge the patriarchy, gender roles and societal norms. Therefore I felt it important that I continued to research their potential In my stage 3 project. I also enjoyed researching the topic of birth as it is a important subject within the realms of feminist discourse.
Fig 4
One of the initial reasons for combining the act of birth with the act of death was due to a personal fear centred around the idea of one day not existing. I grew up in a non-religious household therefore I had never had the comfort of believing in an afterlife. In todays post Christian Britain the concept of an afterlife is no longer a sufficient solution when struggling with the topic of mortality.
How can I create a non religious solution which provides acceptance and comfort when confronted with the subject of our own mortality??
Fig 2
Initial ideas, thoughts and words in response to my concept
‘Given its location outside time, it also connotates death: like the underworld in ancient Greek mythology, it is the space where the living cannot dwell. Hence while the womb as fantasy may be synonymous with a human need to create dwellings, nest, and establish shelter, it is also a forbidden territory where life itself and ends’
begins
1
Fig 5
Womb Fantasies was also a source of inspiration when deciding to merge birth and death as it describes the womb as a ‘Mythical space’ and explores its connotations to death. 1-Rupperecht, Caroline, Womb Fantasies: Subjective Architectures in Postmodern Literature, Cinema, and Art p10
Key Inspiration
Fig 6
The article outlines the way in which death was converted into the medical, professional, male domain during the early 1900’s. The medicilisation of death eliminated women from the process which subsequently removed the role of ritualistic natural methods. The article exhibits how women are reclaiming death and in doing so challenging the capitalisation and commodification of the act of dying.
‘Bareham is just one of many women who are disrupting the death paradigm by challenging our traditional funerary practices and advocating for transparency, eco-friendly options, and family involvement. While White patriarchy has spent the past hundred years shutting the doors and pulling the curtain—obfuscating and profiting from one of life’s most significant milestones—modern women are questioning whom our current system is serving and telling the funeral industry that its time is up. Make no mistake, the future of death is a feminist one.’ 2
Fig 7
The positive death movement is a women led initiative which aims to break taboos around death and incorporate natural and ritualistic methods to the act of dying. The movement has created the role of Death Doulas which are modelled off of the role of Birth Doulas - furthermore there are Positive Death courses which teach participants the ‘Art of Death Midwifery’. The article describes the FUN-eral of 88 year old Shatzi Weisberger who is alive for her own funeral. The picture above shows guests from Weisbergers funeral writing messages on her bio degradable coffin. Weisberger has taken an upfront approach to processing her mortality which suits herself and her loved ones best. Interestingly the movement has been likened to the women led ‘Natural Birth Movement’3
2-Chavez,Sarah, Yes! Magazine, The Story of Death Is the Story of Women (2019) (web) 3-Leland, John, The New York Times, The Positive Death Movement Comes to Life (2018) (web)
Feminist Theory + Discourse
I felt it vital the authority of nature was exhibited within my design. Furthermore, I felt it important to celebrate the disorderly and intractable attributes of nature which metaphorically symbolises freeing women from their patriarchal positioning in society.
Fig 8
I also felt it necessary to celebrate attributes of kitsch which connotate to femininity such as sentiment, emotionality, decoration and ornamentation in order to reclaim such characteristics. Additionally I aimed to exhibit the functionality of the ornament as a communicative device in order to challenge the masculine, Modernist viewpoint which labels the ornament as useless and irrational.
Fig 9
‘Nature
was how things were meant to be. But modernity reformulated nature according to scientific principles making it subject to systematic investigation and human ordering. Nature became subject to laws imposed upon it by men.’ 4
‘Decoration was vilified by modernists as bourgeois, but implicitly (or explicitly in this case), anti-ornamentation was also an attack on 19th century
women’s tastes.’
‘A more thoroughgoing challenge would question the way in which ornament was defined during the period of modernism, recognizing its role as a carrier
of meaning’.
7
5
‘woman had fallen behind in her natural development, evidenced by her ina6 bility to reject ornamentation.’
4-Holliday, Ruth. Potts, Tracey, Kitsch!: Cultural politics and taste (2012) p 113 5-Ibid p 114 6-Ibid p110 7-Negrin, Llewellyn, Ornament and the feminine in Feminist Theory p 219
Professor Bernd Heinrich discusses the cycle of life and death from an animal perspective in his book Life Everlasting- The Animal Way of Death. Heinrich’s discussion of the transition between caterpillar to butterfly is of particular rele-
“Nature has taught me about fluid adaptability. About not only weathering storms, but using howling winds to spread seeds wide, torrential rains to nurture roots so they can grow deeper and stronger. Nature has taught me that a storm can be used to clear out branches that are dying, to let go of that which was keeping us from growing in new directions. These are lessons we need for organizing.’’9-Walidah Imarisha
Fig 10
‘there is something to be said for adaptation, the adaptation of small, collaborative species. Roaches and ants and deer and fungi and bacteria and viruses and bamboo and eucalyptus and squirrels and vultures and mice and mosquitoes and dandelions and so many other more collaborative life forms... I want to understand how we humans do that- how we earn a place on this precious planet, get in the “right relationship” with it. So I am focusing on the ways creatures and ecosystems function together and in and with the natural world.’8
Emergent Strategy outlines the importance of learning from out natural environment in order to reshape the future. The book also discusses the work of Octavia E. Butler and the way in which Science Fiction has the power to explore potential ideas and pathways for civilisation. I was inspired by Maree Brows words to look to occurrences in nature which I could reflect in my design- This bought me to the topics of life cycles, decomposition, cell formation and regenerations.
‘The radical change that occurs, does indeed arguably involve death followed by re10 incarnation.’ This vance to this project-
Fig 11
relates to my concept for the Metamorphic Pods as the energy produced from the deceased is used in order to create new life.
8-Maree Brown,Adrienne, Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds (2017) p7 9-Ibid p12 10-Heinrich, Bernd , Life Everlasting: The Animal Way of Death, (2012) p75
Kern explains that our built environment is not fully equipped for the inhabitation of women as cities have been built through the lenses of men.11 Through our environment we can uncover the story of men, however the story of Fig 12 women is absent, Kern also outlines the importance of speculative feminist designs as they offer an alternative to the male dominant reality of society. How can my design narrate a story of women which counteracts the male led narrative of society??
Fig 13
Cyborg Feminism‘An alliance between women, machinery and new 12 technology’ - Sadie Plant-,director of the centre for research into Cybernetic Culture at Warwick University.
It became an aim of mine to create mechanisms which free women from their patriarchal position within society, in homage to the notion of Cyborg Feminism.
11-Kern, Leslie-Feminist City Claiming Space in the Man Made World (2020) pp7-15 12-Kunzru, Hari,Wired, You Are Cyborg (1997)
Fig 15
Fig 14
In our lived reality feminist ideas, designs and spaces are unable to be fully materialised, however we can often find their existence within fiction and fantasy worlds. Science Fiction literature is a great interest of mine and as mentioned by Adrienne Maree Brown Sci-Fi offers a speculation on potential futures and paths for society. The final book in Margaret Atwood’s speculative sci-fi trilogy Maadadam has served as great inspiration for this project. The book explores the potential future of humanity through combining real life scientific advancements with her own imagination, as well as this the book outlines the authority of nature and wildlife whilst also challenging gender roles and hierarchy’s. Pioneer of feminist utopian writing Octavia E. Butler similarly challenges the status-quo through her writing. Butlers Xenogenesis trilogy questions sexuality, gender, race and societal hierarchies. Furthermore, similarly to Atwood’s work Butler proposes scientific and biological technology which combines blurs reality with fiction. Such a combination offers a feminine response to technology as it allows unsuppressed exploration without the restrictions of practicality and rationality. I felt it important that I adapted a similar approach to design, and created a speculative space which questions our current society and offers a hypothetical future for civilisation
Fig 17
Suzy Roans 2020 PHD project - ‘Counter-narratives of childbirth in the UK: developing visual languages of embodied birth through expanded drawing practice’ explores the expression and Communication of childbirth through De-medicalised drawings and collages which counteract common radicalised portrayals of birth.
Fig 16
The picture above is from Bloomers 1992 publication Abodes of Theory and Flesh: Tabbles of Bower. Bloomer criticised the sterile nature of architectural drawings and in response created messy drawings which incorporate aspects of female anatomy. Furthermore Bloomer drew parallels between the construction of a building to the mess of childbirth and challenged the gender of creativity itself.13
Both practitioners challenge the masculine principles of visual communication and design. This inspired me to create my own methodology where I analysed my own imaginative drawings as a means of research (The drawings are displayed in the Thesis Appendix). 13- Rendell, Jane, The Architectural Review, Only resist: a feminist approach to critical spatial practice (web)
Alternative Narratives of Birth + Death
The films Midsommar (2019) and Suspiria (2018) depict feminist utopian portrayals
Fig 18
Suspiria (2018)
Midsommar (2019
ritual, sentiment and collectivism.
of death due to the presence of
In the opening scene [Fig18] we are shown a suicide and double murder where car fumes have been used to kill all three parties involved. The scene is dark, industrial and claustrophobic, the audience is made to feel uncomfortable, confined and distressed. The second explicit death scene comes later in the film [Fig 19] and is a ceremony for two elders of the cult the main characters are visiting. This death is the complete opposite of what the audience has previously seen, the lengthy ritual is conducted during Midsommar, the setting is bright and the presence of nature is strong. All members of the cult are involved and there is a tranquil serenity which surrounds the event. The elders eventually jump off a cliff after numerous smaller rituals and as they jump they look peaceful and transcendent. This scene offers a fluid feminine response to the repressive deaths shown in the opening scene which have ties to masculinity due to the dim, cold aesthetic as well as the use of industrial, mechanical mechanisms as the chosen method of death. In contrast the second death scene celebrates life and the method of death seems freeing rather than repressive. The viewer is still left feeling uncomfortable yet there is beauty and sentiment embedded within the scene.
Fig 19
Fig 20
The final scenes in Suspiria plays out after a sacrificial dance ritual which goes wrong, the scene reveals the main character Susie is the Mother of Sighs and Susie goes on to kill all members of the Coven. The ceremony she conducts is bloody and subversive but again like the cliff jumping scene in Midsommar there is sensitivity and sentiment attached to the deaths. The scene evokes an array of emotions in the audience and we again are shown the beauty in a blatant and upfront approach to death through the use of ceremony and ritual.
Exploring the role of ritual in my design
katrina Spade
Fig 21
Capsula Mundi
Fig 22
I also found the work of Katrina Spade who founded the recompose project and Anna Citelli & Raoul Bretzel who created the Capsula Mundi to be of great relevance to my project. Both these projects exemplify the ethos embedded within the project due to the presence of nature within their mechanisms. Spade’s work reiterates the authority of nature over our lives and bodies which is done through becoming part of the larger eco system by returning our bodies to the land. The Capsula Mundi is also highly relevant to my work as it again exhibits how death can be a means of growth and exhibits the importance of ritual in regards to the act of dying, moreover the deceased is placed within the pod in the foetal position which mimics the foetus in a womb. Recompose project- regenerates human remains into soil through a process called ‘Natural Organic Reduction’ . Capsula Mund- Deceased bodies are placed into a biodegradable pod in the foetal position, the pod is then buried like a seed. A tree chosen by the departed when still alive is then planted on top of the pod . The act of choosing the tree acts as a ritual and also offers an upfront approach to death as the soon to be deceased fully acknowledges the subject of their mortality.
I looked to cultures outside the western world to further uncover alternative narratives of Birth and Death. The Satiyaat Tribe originating from Rajasthani celebrate Death and mourn after the birth of a 14 child. The tribe’s philosophy disputes the west’s binary understanding of both events, where death is seen as inherently negative, whilst birth is inherently positive. This led me to think about instances where Birth is not entirely positive which bought me onto the topic of post-partum grief and depression, which 15 is experienced in 10%-15% of new mothers . Due to this I felt it imperative that my concept created a space where both the loved ones of the deceased and parent(s) are able to openly grieve. In doing so acknowledging the potential for negative emotions which may arise after the Birth of a child.
14-Kota, Agencies, The Indian express, Rajasthan’s gypsy tribe celebrate death, mourns births (2012) 15-Dr Green, Lucinda Royal College of psychiatrists, Postnatal depression - key facts (2018)
Ghanian Fantasy Coffins
Fig 23
Ghanaian Fantasy Coffins coffins are designed to reflect and celebrate the
life,
pas-
sions and identity of the deceased. I found them to be of great relevance to my project as they embody many of the fundamental elements of
kitsch
whilst exhibiting
the functionality of decoration as a means of communication. The design of the coffins contrast with the western aesthetic surrounding death which favours modestly and formality which ultimately adds to the repression and fear which surrounds mortality .
Influential Artworks
Fig 24
Compression Cradle
Lucy McRaeScience Fiction Artist+Body Architect Fig 27
Compression Carpet The work of Lucy McRae helped me explore the mechanism of The Metamorphic Pod design.
Fig 25
How to the pods interact the body? How is energy transferred through them? What are they made out of?
Fig 26
Solitary Survival Kit
‘Compression Carpet is part of the family of machines designed to mimic the positive effects of a human hug. Requiring two people to operate this lo-fi machine, blubber-like cushions affectionately squeeze the body as somebody turns a crank to increase the pressure.’ 16
16-Mcrae Lucy,Future Survival Kit (web)
Artists who look at Birth, Death and Decay Anya Gallaccio
Damien Hirst
Fig 28
Damien Hirst’s, 1991 In and Out of Love (White Paintings and Live Butterflies) installation was of huge significance to my project as it confronts the topic of Birth and Death and displays the parallel beauty of both events. Butterfly pupae was glued to white canvases which butterflies hatched from. They then flew around the space mating and laying eggs in order to produce the next life cycle
Fig 29
Daniel Arsham
Fig 30
The work of Anya Gallaccio and Daniel Arsham also illustrates the beauty in decay which mirrors the concept of my own project. Anya Gallacios’ ‘Preserve Beauty’ exhibit ran from 1991-2003 and consisted of flowers arranged under large panels of glass. The flowers die and rot under the glass, in doing so conveying the beauty of nature in all its states- living and dead. ‘Daniel Arshams Blue Calcite Eroded Moses’, 2019, Re-envisions Michelangelos ‘Moses’ through adding erosion . Like the work of Gallaccio this piece exhibits the way in which decay can enrich the beauty and depth of an object.
Site Survey
In order to find an appropriate site for my design I used the method of visually analysing and surveying, and using my own observations as a means of research. I was drawn to wasteland areas situated off the River Clyde as such areas symbolise the death of the ship building industry and by inserting my design into
life,
activity and such spaces industry is being regenerated and reintroduced. I observed a particular plot of land where
collided
nature
with the surhad rounding infrastructure and to me it felt like nature had taken authority and ownership of the space
I then created a method where I documented ideas, words and questions on top of photographs I had taken of the area. This method mirrored my overall approach to the design and echoes the work of Jenifer Bloomer as it rejects formality and embraces the freedom of working without constraints and boundaries. This method was highly successful as I was able to make wider conclusions and connections about the relevance of the site in regards to my project.
The insertion of my project transfers the narrative of the space from the masculine domain (due to its ties with ship building) to the realm of femininity, this remodelling responds to the work of Leslie Kern who outlines the way in which cities convey an anthropological story of men. In contrast the placement of my design creates a new story which revolves around femininity.
I noted that perhaps the space was currently in a metaphorical cocoon as it had once lived a previous life as an area rich with industry and labour. However, it was now left in a limbo stage of its life cycle and my design will act as a metamorphosis which will transform the space into a new stage of its life span.
I concluded that due to the large scale of the site I would design 3 identical structures, I chose 3 separate structures rather than one large space as I wanted the buildings to be mostly open plan inside in order to
fluidity
and engagement, yet still feel nurturing and intimate. One large building may encourage feel intimidating thereby making visitors feel uncomfortable and uneasy. I also wanted the atmosphere to mimic that of a Death Cafe in order to create a space where open conversation is encouraged. Due to the strong presence of nature in the site I was able to fully imagine the life span of the design I felt it necessary that nature would reclaim both the area and the structures once they have served their purpose.