Spring 2016 | Casey Gonzalez | SACD Terminal Master’s Project by University of South Florida - School of Architecture & Community Design

For my family, who put up with a lot...

A TERMINAL MASTERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND COMMUNITY DESIGN COLLEGE OF THE ARTS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA MAY 2016

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND COMMUNITY DESIGN

BY CASEY GONZALEZ

THESIS CHAIR

MARK WESTON | ASSOCIATE PROFFESOR COMMITTEE

ROBERT MACLEOD | PROGRAM DIRECTOR JOSUE ROBLES CARABALLO | ASSISTANT PROFFESOR KRISTIEN RING | ASSISTANT PROFFESOR

ABSTRACT

This thesis explores the element of fear within our society and how we communicate within our current culture of social media. Multiple critiques were developed in order to explore our social structure and societal ideals. The work culminates in an architectural expression that utilizes a popular messaging app to activate a discourse within a restricted country. Elements of social media are explored in detail. Topics like censorship, global community space, and human connections on both a physical and digital level are investigated within the scope of the digital citizenship of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modern empire of the internet. The creation of the prevalent selfproduced narrative is examined and explored within the confines of applications and text.

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP OF THE INTERNET The rampant infiltration of social media in the everyday life of an average person has changed the human experience. With over 3.17 billion internet users around the world, each with an average of 5.54 social media accounts, levels of engagement, both physical and digital, have evolved and in consequence we have evolved (Brandwatch). Americans check their smartphones 8 billion times per day, an average of 46 times per person (Eadicicco). We are checking our email, posting to social media, texting with friends, checking news updates, and so much more with our phones. Almost everything we digitally consume is scaled to the size of our phone screens. The digital takeover is happening and all we can do is adopt or loosen our connection to the world. Fig 1 Black Mirror | 5

CONTENTS

FEAR / ART

RESEARCH 16 REACTIONARY GENERATOR OF INTERPRETATION 20 CREATIVITY TYPOLOGIES 24 EDUCATION REFORM / PARODY 34 UNEMPLOYMENT / INSTALLATION 44 ADDICTION/INK 52

THE USER / THE ARTIST

USER-GENERATED CONTENT 76

THE INDIVIDUAL / THE NATION

RESEARCH 90 MID-LEVEL ESCALATOR 98 BAMBOO SCAFFOLDING 108 BAMBOO OPERA HOUSE 118

ANATOMIZATION 128 FIGURES / WORKS CITED 130 7

ART IS NOT A PLEASURE.

FEAR IS A LIAR.

ART IS NOT A PLEASURE, A SOLACE, OR AN A M U S E M E N T; ART IS GREAT MATTER. ART IS AN ORGAN OF HUMAN LIFE, TRANSMITTING M A N â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S REASONABLE PERCEPTION INTO FEELING - LEO TOLSTOY

Fig 2 Watercolor | 11

12 | Happy New Fear

THE OLDEST AND STRONGEST EMOTION OF MANKIND IS FEAR, AND THE OLDEST AND STRONGEST KIND OF FEAR IS FEAR OF THE U N K N O W N -H.P. LOVECRAFT

FEAR // ART

I started by researching how fear influenced art, and how fear was depicted in, transformed, and inspired by art. Art offers a commentary and critique on social issues and can inform a population. Art engenders empathy and creates a conversation. Fear is the most powerful emotion. It is the greatest motivator and the greatest debilitator/incapacitator. It is also the most elegant weapon used against us (Holzer). We create it within ourselves and it breeds a new kind of fear that is coupled with the attention to the unknown and the propaganda of today’s society. Fear challenges and changes the identity of the individual and the society.

SOCIETY RESPONDS WITH CREATION Both of these ideas can give an insight into the current climate of a culture. A society expresses their feelings through an outward expression of the fear or the art they create. Nina Simone said “An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times.” Art embodies what fear creates. We live in a highly responsive society and society responds with creation.

Fig 4 Ai WeiWei Selfie | 15

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J I M M O R R I S O N

Fig 21

The first time Morrison experienced fear was when he saw a crash on a road trip with his family. He says that he felt more connected with loss and of people and his parents. After a brief time in school, Morrison joined with his other bandmates to form the Doors. His poetic lyrics and dramatic stage presence led to the band’s success with singles like “Light My Fire” and “One to Five.” His introspective and intellectual look into the human condition led to some of the most controversial and revealing lyrics of his time (Bio).

MARINAABRAMOVIĆ

Seductive, fearless, and outrageous, Marina Abramovic has been redefining what art is for nearly forty years. Using her own body as a vehicle, pushing herself beyond her physical and mental limits- and at times risking her life in the process- she creates performances that challenge, shock, and move us. Through her and with her, boundaries are crossed, consciousness expanded, and art as we know is reborn (Akers). FIg 22

S E H E R S H A H

Fig 23

Sehar Shah uses drawing, sculpture and photographs to address opinions toward architecture and objects. Drawing from modernist architecture, city pans, and the ever-evolving relationship between objects and their landscapes, Shah is able to cultivate a cultural tpoignant critique of modern day societal issues. Her work is featured in the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Brooklyn Museum, Devi Art Foundation, and many more (GaGallery).

Fig 24

A cultural figure of international renown, Ai Weiwei is an activist, architect, curator, filmmaker, and China’s most famous artist. Open in his criticism of the Chinese government, Ai was famously detained for months in 2011, then released to house arrest. With most of his early childhood was spent in a re-education camp, Weiwei sees the importance of his actions. His fear of what the Chinese government can do to him drives him to keep creating work (Artsy).

J E N N Y H O L Z E R

Fig 25

Jenny Holzer’s truisms, such as “Abuse of power comes as no surprise” and “Protect me from what I want,” have appeared on posters, billboards, and even condoms, and as LED signs and monumental light projections. Whether questioning consumerism, describing torture, or lamenting death and disease, her use of language (sometimes mistaken for advertising when installed in public spaces) is designed to agitate and disturb (Artsy).

P A T T I S M I T H

Fig 26

One of the pioneers of punk rock music, Patti Smith is a trailblazer who redefined the role of female rock stars as a poet who unleashed her lyrical talent over powerful guitars. Patti Smith stands out as one of the greatest figures in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. After four decades, Smith finds her continued motivation to write and make music in the unfairly shortened lives of her loved ones and the needs of her children. The iconic album Horses is considered one of the best albums of all times (Smith).

METHODOLOGIES

WRITTEN WORD VIDEO TYPOGRAPHY SPRAY PAINT SPACE SOCIAL MEDIA SHARPIE PHOTOGRAPHY MODEL MANIPULATION LIGHT INK

FOUND OBJECT COLLAGE AUDIO WATERCOLOR VANDALISM SCULPTURE REPETITON PROPOGANDA INSTALLATION CHALK PARODY PRJECTION

POP ART

SUBJECT MATTER

WOMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RIGHTS

WAR

EDUCATION REFORM TAXES

SUSTAINABILITY

STUDENT LOAN DEBT SOCIAL SECURITY UNEMPLOYMENT PERSONAL PRIVACY

TERRORISTS ATTACKTS

MINIMUM WAGE

LGBT+ RIGHTS IMMIGRATION

HUNGER HUMAN RIGHTS HOMELESSNESS

HEALTHCARE ADDICTION GENTRIFICATION

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

NATIONAL DEBT ECONOMY CRIME/VIOLENCE

GLOBAL WARMING PRESIDENTAIL ELECTIONS

CREATIVITY TYPOLOGIES

The research and collection of methodologies led to the creation of the Reactionary Generator of Interpretation; a tool I used to partner a methodology with a subject matter to create my own art. The subject matter was picked by looking at the Gallup poll of what Americans view as the most important problems in the United States. Topics ranged from the economy to LGBT+ issues. The methods were selected from artwork that I had gathered in my earlier research. This generator was used as tool to allow me to create something that took a stance without showing my bias in the selection of the topic or the use of the method. Shortly after picking my first combination, I found difficulty in translating the emergent theme into a project. I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think of what to make and how to make it. I began to research different ways artists create things. I thought that if I found how others create I could find how I created and what kept me from creating.

T A I K A W A T I T I

Takia Watiti is an Academy Award Nominated director for One Car, Two Boy, and other works like What We Do in the Shadows, and Boy. He is always inspired by the Outsider Artist. The naivety and innocence of creation by the outsider artist, an artist that is detached from the common art world and its ideals, allows for the purist form of art (The Art of Creativity).

Fig 27 Two Cars One Night | 25

N A T Y M A

Amy Tan is an award- winning author, her work including The Bonesetter’s Daughter, Saving Fish from Drowning, and Rules for Virgins. Tan believes that the “nothing” we create derives from our nature, nurture, and nightmares. The nature is that we are all born with something that makes us creative such as psychosis, or identity within our culture. The nurture is our upbringing. The nightmares are childhood traumas that change us (Tan).

26 | Fig 28 Valley of Amazement

A P A R N A R O A

Aparna Roa creates art that craves your attention. The bangalore based artist works with electro-mechanical systems and interactive installations. She sees creativity as a clashing of two side of the brain, banging together to create something and bridge the gap with creativity (Roa.)

Fig 29 Pygmies | 27

“The more something threatens your identity, the more you will avoid doing it.” - Manson’s Law of Avoidance. The idea behind this is that the more something threatens to change how you view yourself, how you believe yourself to be, the more unlikely you are to do it (Manson). This is something that plagues almost everyone but especially the artist. The idea of creation is something that can act as a paralytic. Creators are consistently passing up ideas and decisions that could change the work based on something within themselves. Procrastination is a symptom of the disease. We become attached to who we could be rather than who we are. The paralysis of fear causes a lack of creation and reaction. After acknowledging the problem within I was able to create. I detached myself from all of the preconceived notions that I had about myself and just began to create.

POLLUCK // KRASNER

Jackson Pollock is said to be one of the most significant post-war American painters.. Most people do not know of his wife, Lee Krasner. Both abstract expressionist, Krasner’s career was often compromised by her husband’s alcoholism as well as his own work. Working in the male-dominated art world at the time, Karsner was so selfcritical and insecure about her own work that she would destroy it or even cannibalize, essentially erasing her own place in history. Deriving her “all-over” technique from Piet Mondrian’s “grid,” Krasner’s powerful work then influenced Pollock’s famous “drip paintings.” When painting, Pollock felt like he could do no wrong. He would lay his canvas on the ground and in that space he was absolute truth (The Art Story). I think the relationship between Krasner and Pollock is the perfect example of manson’s law of avoidance can apply to an individual. Krasner let her feeling of inadequacy and insecurity affect her work while Pollock let himself detach from his identity and unleash the utmost amount of creativity possible.

Fig 30 Lee Krasner and Jackson Polluck | 31

THE ART

Fig 31 Grading | 35

Creativity is considered to be one of the most desirable traits in any job applicant. Critical thinking and creativity seem to go hand in hand. Thinking differently demands high levels of innovation, creativity, and ingenuity (Azzam). Currently, instead of promoting creativity, I think we are systematically educating it out of our students. The institution of standardized testing does not allow us to test for creativity and is actually hindering the educational process as a whole. The Age of Information is over and Conceptual Age has begun. Our economy will be stimulated by ideas and innovation rather than production and our educational systems are not cultivating that skill in studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind (Sommer). Pearson Education, the largest standardized test maker in the U.S., offers no test for measuring creativity (Pearson Education). I therefore generated a rhetorical exam for this very purpose. The test required the test-taker to draw a horse. The instructions were modeled off the diagram of a standard S.A.T. question. An answer key was made with a technical drawing of a horse. If the test-taker did not draw the exact same horse they would fail. Everybody failed.

Fig 32 Wall of Horses | 37

38 | Fig 33 Answer Key

I handed out the tests wherever I went. When administering the test I would not explain myself or answer any questions about the test. I ended up with over four hundred tests. I also administered the test to a classroom full of first-year graduate architecture students. I proctored the test just as any other exam would have been. The response of the testtaker was always one of nervousness. I was meet with apologies and flustered responses. Even in the art department I was often meet with the disclaimer “I’m not an artist.”

Fig 34-35 Classroom | 39

40 | Fig 36 Video Still A

Fig 37 Video Still B | 41

This is a commentary on both the ideology of the “one size fits all” mentality of the education system when it comes to testing and the diction used to generate the test questions. The standardized testing culture is having negative effects on our students and education system. Things like lost learning time, reduced content knowledge, narrowed curriculum, diverted resources, and school closures are exasperated by test taking culture (Strauss). With a ‘Test and Punish’ mentality, educators are also feeling the pressure of standardized testing. Under our current model, test scores and teacher evaluations are linked. When we are creating a culture where teachers feel the need to cheat in order to get there students funding (Bidwell), how can we expect our students to get proper funding to begin with? Also this puts into question the evolution of art education into its current form. The way that art is taught in schools is more technical and formulaic, paying attention more to the correct technique for shading and proportion rather than developing the notion of exploration and innovation through creative ventures.

42 | Fig 38 Submitted Test

Fig 39 Las Vegas Conceptual Site Map | 45

The next piece I picked was unemployment and installation. I started to think about the recession and how many people it affected. Las Vegas, Nevada was one of the top U.S. cities affected by the recession (Bernardo). In 2009, Nevadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unemployment rate rose to 12.5% while the city of Las Vegasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rate was at 13.1% (Robison). With over 80,000 people in Las Vegas unemployed at that time, the city felt the economic impact recession. The median annual income in 2009 was $58,432 (Las Vegas Sun). That means that $4,674,560,000 was taken out of that economy. In making the installation I decided I wanted to make a reminder of what was missing using an iconic symbol of Las Vegas culture. My installation is comprised of over $4.6 billion dollars worth of poker chips. The physical manifestation of that amount of money confronts an individual with what happened to this country in 2009. This shows the grand scale of what happened in this city alone.

46 | Fig 40 Las Vegas Site Map

The location I picked for my installation is in a pedestrian corridor in downtown Las Vegas that connects the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s observation wheel and Caesarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Palace. Lined with shops and restaurants, this is a heavily used path. The installation is comprised of three nodes where the corridor shifts and opens up to create a larger public space. The poker chips arch up and line walls to create a destination for tourists and locals alike.

48 | Fig 41 Installation Render A

50 | Fig 42 Material Studies

Fig 43 Installation Render B | 51

Fig 44 Iphone Plates | 53

Using black ink, the emotion of a functioning technological addiction was captured in three ink paintings. The fluid nature of the brush strokes are juxtaposed by the pause of metered punctuation that embodies the attention to your addiction. In contrast to heavily researched background of the other two pieces, this piece was initiated on a more personal level. I wanted the emotion of my personal addiction to be in the piece. Before this I already used ink as my main medium of creating so I felt that I would be more comfortable in expressing myself in a more personal manner. Fig 45 Addiction Ink Painting A | 55

56 | Fig 46 Addiction Ink Painting B

Fig 47 Addiction Ink Painting C | 59

From there the piece focused itself toward the addiction to social media and cell phones. Plexi-glass iPhone 6â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are stacked show the swipes made by human fingers when engaging in apps. The apps are Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, iMessage, and News apps. They are stacked in number proportionally to my battery usage. I concentrate on the physical identity of my swipes on the screen. Each app has a different choreography of swipes. Facebook uses a pinching motion while Instagram has a vertical drag and a double tap. Snapchat was one of the few apps that has a horizontal motion. Also the stacking of the plexiglass plates also me to feel the weight of the apps in my hand. The heaviness of the iMessage construct highlights the amount of time that I spend communicating through text messages. The lightness of the News apps stack shows how much I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t engage with official news sources. These constructs are the physical weight of my time and the identity my finger swipes.

Fig 48 iPhone Construct A | 61

Fig 49 iMessage Overlay | Fig 50 iPhone Construct B | 63

T A

Fig 51 Instagram Overlay | Fig 52 iPhone Construct C | 65

Fig 53 Facebook Overlay | Fig 54 iPhone Construct D | 67

Fig 55 Snapchat Overlay | Fig 56 iPhone Construct E | 69

N E W S U P D A T E S

Fig 57 News Update Overlay | Fig 58 iPhone Construct F | 71

Through the creation of these pieces a dialogue of critique was formed. Each piece was thoroughly researched and an opinion was generated to develop the piece. Through discourse the analysis of fear evolved and grew to include the critique of power. All these pieces in some aspect look at an idea of power within our society. The investigation of addiction to cell phones and social media led to the further growth of the related topics of fear and power. Different media produces different emotions of work. The comical nature of the test are a vast contrast to the emotional input used in the first paintings of addiction. Before the lack of personal identity was embodied in the artist, creation was not possible. Truly objective thinking was only achieved when personal expectations were put aside.

form is directly related to that the average person themselves in present times restrictions that we place upon

Another theme throughout the three pieces is the physical manifestation of things that are not usually there. Each piece creates a physical object that did not exist before. A physical object that can be seen or touched causes the participant to confront the idea of what it is. All of the subject matters that were chosen, as well as all that were not, are relevant to current culture. Art must be relevant. By creating art that is grounded in the issues of today, an artist is able to create a commentary on the times.

Keeping in mind the screen that we are viewing, that portal can be both our view into a world and the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s view of us. 74% of Internet users use a social networking site daily (Duggan). With our text posts and images that we upload, as well as the engagement we have with others, digital citizens are generating a projected narrative that is subject to self-inflicted censorship and self-produced propaganda. User generated content is what drives the internet currently. For instance, Facebook is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest media site but generates none of its own content (McRae). We, the individuals, are creating the content. The art that this generation is creating is not limited the canvas but invades the digital world. It reaches beyond the borders of the physical realm and the individual can have a global impact by just uploading something to Instagram.

the way expresses and the ourselves.

The use of social media is the main medium/ method that we use to express ourselves. Apps like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are changing the way that we view art and the way that we create it. Text-based dialogues are growing and creating a footing in current conversations. When the majority of the information that we create/ingest will be experienced at the scale of phone it causes creators to re-think their pieces. The gallery is no longer limited to the four white walls in a museum but often inhabits the black screen that is staring back at us.

THE USER

THE ARTIST

To continue the conversation of power and fear I seek to further develop the understanding of the use of social media in relation to art. The critique I form is directly related to the way that the average person expresses themselves in present times and the restrictions that we place upon ourselves. The use of social media is the main medium/method that we use to express ourselves. Apps like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are changing the way that we view art and the way that we create it. Text-based dialogues are growing and creating a footing in current conversations. When the majority of the information that we create/ingest will be experienced at the scale of phone it causes creators to re-think their pieces. The gallery is no longer limited to the four white walls in a museum but often inhabits the black screen that is staring back at us. Keeping in mind the screen that we are viewing, that portal can be both our view into a world and the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s view of us. 74% of Internet users use a social networking site daily (Duggan). With our text posts and images that we upload, as well as the engagement we have with others, digital citizens are generating a projected narrative that is subject to self-inflicted censorship and self-produced propaganda. User generated content is what drives the internet currently. For instance, Facebook is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest media site but generates none of its own content (McRae). We, the individuals, are creating the content. The art that this generation is creating is not limited the canvas but invades the digital world. It reaches beyond the borders of the physical realm and the individual can have a global impact by just uploading something to Instagram.

Fig 59 Adapted Painting | 77

I began the exercise by painting four original images using ink. While painting these, I thought of technological addiction and creation within that. From there I took pictures of the paintings with my phone and quickled started to manipulate them in photoshop. I wanted to keep my phone in the process as much as I could. I then loaded my manipulated drawings into the app called GlitchĂŠ where I was able to use the filters to create over fifty new images that moved or adapted the original images. 78 | Fig 60-63 Ink Painting

Fig 64-67 Photoshopped Ink Paintings | 79

80 | Fig 68 Glitche’ Screenshot | Fig 69 - 83 Glitche’ Adapted Paintings

82 | Fig 84-87 Glitcheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Adapted Paintings

THE INDIVIDUAL

THE NATION

86 | Fig 88 Untitled

FACEBOOK WAS NOT ORIGINALLY CREATED TO BE A COMPANY. IT WAS BUILT TO ACCOMPLISH A SOCIAL MISSION - TO MAKE THE WORLD MORE OPEN AND CONNECTED -MARK ZUCKERBERG

OPEN PORTAL

The way that the individual uses social media is the same way that the Chinese government does, just on different scales. They both use levels of filters and censorship to control their projected narratives to the world. This is evident in the varying degrees of control the Chinese government exercises over both over Hong Kong and Mainland China by constraining the digital connection between them. Ranked number 176 out of 180 in the 2016 World Press Freedom Index (Reporters Without Borders), China uses the idea of “Internet Sovereignty” to regulate Chinese companies, foreign organizations and individuals to abide by Chinese censorship laws. Censorship guidelines are circulated through propaganda from the Communist Party weekly for news outlets but certain websites that are deemed dangerous are blocked all together. The Golden Shield Project (otherwise known as the Great Firewall) is the main way the government employs surveillance and censorship methods. Things like bandwidth throttling, keyword filtering, and blocking access to certain websites are just some of the ways that the Republic of China controls its narrative (Xu). The individual employs the same type of selfcensorship as the Republic of China. The persona someone develops in the digital realm is not the person that you would meet in the physical. How someone engages with others on the internet can even change the perception of the person. The curation of our digital personas only add to the idea that social media is not real life. A “heart button” now defines our self-worth and we look to our phone screens for information and validation. We no longer look to a mirror to see who we are but to device that conveniently fits into our pocket.

T A H C E R I F 90 | Fig 89 Firechat Infographic

Firechat is a peer-to-peer mesh network that connects people without the infrastructure of the internet. When using the app, people connect to the network created by the users of the app rather than a public network. This means it can act independently of government control (OpenGarden). Firechat was initially made to be used in situations like festivals and concerts. It is the official messaging app of Burning Man (Castillo). It quickly gained momentum in protests and countries with a lacking internet infrastructure or government regulations. Within a week of the applications conception, people from Taiwan and Mainland China were already having an unregulated conversation (Horwitz).

Fig 90 Firechat Diagram | 91

TIANANMENSQUARE 92 | Fig 91 Tiananmen Square Massacre

The Tiananmen Square protests were pro-democracy, student-led protests in 1989. The protests were forcibly suppressed by the military in the middle of the Beijing. Thousands of people were killed using assault rifles and tanks sent into Tiananmen Square. The Tiananmen Square protest was the focal point of a nation-wide protest. They used fax machines to organize the people (Editors) Today you cannot research anything about the Tiananmen Square protests in Mainland China. Every book, newspaper article, and image has been erased from the internet by the government. People are even afraid to mention the uprising aloud. This has led to an entire generation apathetic and ignorant to the massacre (Editors).

Fig 92 Tank Man | Fig 93 Tiananmen Square Massacre | 93

UMBRELLA MOVEMENT 94 | Fig 94 Umbrella Movement Banner

The Umbrella Movement is a loose pro-democracy political movement that was created spontaneously during the student-led Hong Kong protests of 2014. These protests were the first time that Mainland China restricted Hong Kongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s internet access (Park). Even though Hong Kong does not have its internet restricted, media outlets and publications often self-censor so that they do not have official restrictions put upon them. The protests were largely organized with the use of Firechat (Mann).

Fig 95 Tear Gassed Umbrella Man | Fig 96 Umbrella Movement Crows | 95

THE INTERVENTIONS

These interventions seek to bridge the informational gap between the Mainland China and Hong Kong. Utilizing three urban environments these installations either attach to or redefine a part of Hong Kongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s built environment. With the use of multimedia installations, Hong Kongers are exposed to user-generated content from Mainland China through the use of Firechat. Digital citizens would submit to the app and images would be shown on screens. The images are entirely what the people of Hong Kong and China want on the screens. There would be no censoring of information. The images could be of protests in Beijing or images of the Xi`an River. The complete control of the content is up to the user. Each piece of architecture is accessible on many different scales of physical connectivity. The escalator is a fixed point within the city and affects people in the moment at that physical point. The scaffolding interventions traverses Hong Kong across the city, constantly change and evolving with the need of the users. The opera house can become a fixture within the global conversation. It can be put up in Hong Kong one day and then the next be around the world, engaging a large portion of humanity.

Fig 97 Mid-Level Escalator Conceptual Model A | 99

100 | Fig 98-101 Mid-Level Escalator

The mid-level escalators have become a vein in Hong Kongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transportation network. Stretching over 800 meters, the escalators are used by 55,000 people daily (Hong Kong Extra). Branching off from it, Hong Kong night life and commerce surround the escalator. The escalator is the more permanent installation of three interventions. By using its unidirectional tendency of the escalator but the bidirectional option creates an opportunity to develop a different experience. The cone shape of the installation allows for two different experiences. In the morning, a user would enter the more open side of the installation and the screens would show news from both Mainland China and Hong Kong. This would ideally promote a conversation with the people on the escalator. In the night, when the escalator changes directions, the user would enter the smaller side of the cone so they would be almost immediately put into a lively environment. The interior screens would show moments of urbanity from around the country and create a party-like atmosphere. This would coincide with the activity that is around the escalator.

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Fig 102 Mid-Level Escalator Diagram | Fig 103 Mid-Level Escalator Conceptual Rendering A | 103

104 | Fig 104 Mid-Level Escalator Conceptual Rendering B

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106 | Fig 105-107 Mid-Level Escalator Conceptual Model

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Fig 108 Bamboo Scaffolding Conceptual Model | 109

110 | Fig 109-111 Bamboo Scaffolding

Instead of steel, the Hong Kong construction industry utilizes bamboo scaffolding with a mesh overlay in all of its construction projects. With the capability of reaching over 1000 feet above the ground, Hong Kong is equipped with a special task force of scaffolders that generate these structures (Malm). The 23â&#x20AC;&#x2122; long bamboo pieces serve and plastic ties create a network for a subversive intervention that can be constructed underneath the veil of nylon gauze. The intervention is built behind the mesh and hidden until it is ready to be displayed. It can move across the city and attach and change itself to adapt to any scaffolding. The screens can project anything that is submitted to the app firechat. The implementation is envisioned to occur under the veil of night. These installation can be assembled in a night but then leave the next day to evade government sanctions and control.

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Fig 112 Bamboo Scaffolding Diagram | Fig 113 Bamboo Scaffolding Conceptual Rendering A | 113

114 | Fig 114 Bamboo Scaffolding Conceptual Rendering B

116 | Fig 115-117 Bamboo Scaffolding Conceptual Model

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Fig 118 Bamboo Opera House Conceptual Model | 119

120 | Fig 119-120 Bamboo Opera House Construction | Fig 121 Bamboo Opera House

Ingrained in Hong Kong culture, the bamboo opera house served not only a performance space but as meeting hall for a community (Chow). With the structure built out of entirely bamboo, these opera houses would be quickly built in a city square and then dismantled and moved onto the next. This installation could be set up anywhere. The vision for this intervention that at one point it could locate itself into another country. The possibility of extending the communication to another country and people group could further expound on the conversation globally. The structure has a large moveable wall that when moved to the exterior, the void creates a large wall outside the structure and more space on the interior. When positioned inside, the wall has two projection surfaces on either side with speakers. Each side would have videos projected on them but the sounds paired with the videos would be switched. The idea would be that even though a user would see and hear different settings they could be cognizant of both. Propaganda makers utilize the ideas of deception and diversion but citizens can know when something is not right. When the wall is pulled out, the interior can be used as a meeting or performance space while the wall is used another screen for information.

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Fig 122 Bamboo Opera House Diagram | Fig 123 Bamboo Opera House Conceptual Diagram A | 123

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Fig 124 Bamboo Opera House Conceptual Rendering B |125

126 | Fig 125-127 Bamboo Opera House Conceptual Model

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ANTATOMIZATION

Within the ideas of the interventions there will be people who participate and people who choose not to. Even with the lack of governmental review people may still be hesitant to participate. That idea itself looks at the culture around the interventions, the uncertainty of the rogue architectural expressions that I am proposing. The lack of engagement in an institution is just as telling as the levels of participation. This thesis explored the ideas of connectivity through an exploration of expression. The act of expression narrowed itself to the use of social media. Through this I was able to create an architectural language that adapted itself to Hong Kongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s built and cultural environment. Throughout the past year I have developed an idea and a rhetorical style that lends itself to the global community. The masses are given power by the use of their own devices. Every piece of art that I did, investigation that I conducted, architecture I proposed has been about a sense of unregulated self-expression that is not a common practice in our global culture.

CREATING GLOBAL PUBLIC SPACE The physicality of architecture in the regular sense allows for connection of people that are in direct contact with the building. The people who use the building directly are the people who experience it. With these architectural expressions, engagement is raised to a global level. The connection of people across the earth creates a global public space, both physically and digitally. The interventions promote public gathering in the physical realm in places where WHAT IF THE SCREENS WENT BLACK that may not be the norm. Digitally speaking, The element of connectivity is a rampant theme the use of the apps creates a technological through the interventions. The objective is to third space that can be used by everyone. promote a discourse by the use submissions to the screens but what if the screens went IDEA OF CENSORSHIP black? A lack of a dialogue is almost as The notion of censorship often arises when powerful of a message as submitted images. dealing with free-range public access. The With two bodies of people that are connected idea that the public is taking over billboards on governmental level but otherwise have no and screens across nations is unheard of connection, the lack of discussion between in our controlled climates of conversations them would speak volumes to the political today. When asked if any kind of censorship conditions of the Republic of China. The would be put onto the information coming black screens would send a message to the to the screens I answered with no. The entire world that a connection is not wanted. entire concept of the intervention are about uninhibited conversation. Within the scope of Within the ideas of the interventions there will be censorship, who is to decide what is deemed people who participate and people who choose appropriate? What should our children see not to. Even with the lack of governmental review or not see? The rescaling of the portal of our people may still be hesitant to participate. phones to the size of buildings creates an That idea itself looks at the culture around open-call for users to participate in a form the interventions, the uncertainty of the rogue vulnerability that was not available beforehand. architectural expressions that I am proposing. The lack of engagement in an institution is just as telling as the levels of participation. The interventions proposed could possible change the connectivity of country. Hong Kong and China are two entities that are connected by a government but have no ties to each other. The implementation of Firechat allows an unfiltered, unedited conversation between the two. With this amount of freedom and attention that comes with this kind of discourse, many different conditions and ideas are questioned and tested.

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FIGURES Fig 1 Black Mirror

http://www.cnet.com/news/black-mirror-could-be-remade-in-the-us/

Fig 2 Watercolor* Fig 3 Happy New Fear

http://news.gestalten.com/event/mario-lombardo-0

Fig 4 Ai WeiWei Selfie

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-10/ai-wei-wei-on-china-and-australia/7016776

Fig 5 Tribe Called Quest

http://respect-mag.com/2016/03/phife-dawg-tribe-called-quest-passed-away/

Fig 6 What We Do in the Shadows by Takia Watiti

http://www.indiewire.com/article/taika-waititi-on-the-art-of-the-absurdist-vampiremockumentary-20150211

Fig 7 Guernica by Picasso

http://www.pablopicasso.org/guernica.jsp

Fig 8 Mercer Tavern by Dan Cassero http://youngjerks.com/

Fig 9 Lipstick

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1536150/Alert-to-the-weapons-threatening-security.html

Fig 10 Action Painting

http://capsuleshow.com/wearethemarket/art-listings-august-24-gerhard-richter-jackson-pollock

Fig 11 The Doors In Concert

https://classicrockreview.wordpress.com/category/the-doors-in-concert/

Fig 12 Floating by Bence Bakonyi

http://bencebakonyi.com/index.php?/projects/floating/

Fig 13 No Art Today by Gaber Toth

https://mailartists.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/gabor-toth/

Fig 14 Sorry by Dan Cassero http://youngjerks.com/

Fig 15 Ai WeiWei Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn by Ai WeiWei

https://artblart.com/tag/ai-weiwei%E2%80%A8-dropping-a-han-dynasty-urn/

130 | *Indicates work done by author

Fig 16 Truisms by Jenny Holzer

http://www.art21.org/images/jenny-holzer/truisms-1977%E2%80%9379

Fig 17 Tokyo Shock by Mtisutaka Jiri http://mitsutakatajiri.tumblr.com/

Fig 18 Jim Morrison

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/12/jim-morrison-exposes-himself-stage

Fig 19 Vardo Witch Trial Memorial by Peter Zumthor

http://www.royalcourt.no/nyhet.html?tid=92483&sek=26939

Fig 20 Projections by Jenny Holzer

http://projects.jennyholzer.com/projections

Fig 21 Jim Morrison

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet/2015/06/for-sale-a-poem-from-jim-morrisons-fascination-trunk/

Fig 22 Marina AbramoviÄ&#x2021;

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/10/marina-abramovic-moca-gala.html

Fig 23 Seher Shah

http://glasstire.com/2013/06/19/seher-shah-constructed-landscapes-at-amoaarthouse/

Fig 24 Sunflower Seeds by Ai WeiWei

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1319515/Tate-Modern-carpeted-millions-sunflower-seeds-art

Fig 25 Jenny Holzer

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/feb/05/jenny-holzer-portrait-artist

Fig 26 Patti Smith

http://theredlist.com/wiki-2-24-525-770-928-view-1970s-4-profile-patti-smith.html

Fig 27 Two Cars, One Night by Taika Waiti http://folksonomy.co/?keyword=2303

Fig 28 Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan

http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/11/04/242926707/amy-tan-weaves-family-mystery-intovalley-of-amazement

Fig 29 Pygmies by Aparna Roa

http://blog.ted.com/peek-a-boo-fellows-friday-with-aparna-rao/

Fig 30 Lee Krasner and Jackson Polluck

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2015/dec/02/jackson-pollock-polar-bear -hair-great-art-mystery

Fig 31 Grading* 131

Fig 32 Wall of Horses* Fig 33 Answer Key* Fig 34 Classroom A* Fig 35 Classroom B* Fig 36 Video Still A* Fig 37 Video Still B* Fig 38 Submitted Test Fig 39 Las Vegas Conceptual Site Map* Fig 40 Las Vegas Site Map* Fig 41 Installation Render A* Fig 42 Material Studies* Fig 43 Installation Render B* Fig 44 Iphone Plates* Fig 45 Addiction Ink Painting A* Fig 46 Addiction Ink Painting B* Fig 47 Addiction Ink Painting C* Fig 48 iPhone Construct A* Fig 49 iMessage Overlay* Fig 50 iPhone Construct B* Fig 51 Instagram Overlay* Fig 52 iPhone Construct C* Fig 53 Facebook Overlay* Fig 54 iPhone Construct D* Fig 55 Snapchat Overlay* Fig 56 iPhone Construct E*

132 | *Indicates work done by author

Fig 57 News Update Overlay* Fig 58 iPhone Construct F* Fig 59 Adapted Painting* Fig 60 Ink Painting A* Fig 61 Ink Painting B* Fig 62 Ink Painting C* Fig 63 Ink Painting D* Fig 64 Photoshopped Ink Painting A* Fig 65 Photoshopped Ink Painting B* Fig 66 Photoshopped Ink Painting C* Fig 67 Photoshopped Ink Painting D* Fig 68 Glitche’ Screenshot Fig 69 Glitche’ Adapted Painting A* Fig 70 Glitche’ Adapted Painting B* Fig 71 Glitche’ Adapted Painting C* Fig 72 Glitche’ Adapted Painting D* Fig 73 Glitche’ Adapted Painting E* Fig 74 Glitche’ Adapted Painting F* Fig 75 Glitche’ Adapted Painting G* Fig 76 Glitche’ Adapted Painting H* Fig 77 Glitche’ Adapted Painting I* Fig 78 Glitche’ Adapted Painting J* Fig 79 Glitche’ Adapted Painting K* Fig 80 Glitche’ Adapted Painting L* FIg 81 Glitche’ Adapted Painting M*

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Fig 82 Glitche’ Adapted Painting N* Fig 83 Glitche’ Adapted Painting O* Fig 84 Glitche’ Adapted Painting P* Fig 85 Glitche’ Adapted Painting Q* Fig 86 Glitche’ Adapted Painting R* Fig 87 Glitche’ Adapted Painting S* Fig 88 Untitled by IHeart

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/03/05/banksy-vancouver-street-artist-iheart_n_4906494.html

Fig 89 Firechat Infographic* Fig 90 Firechat Diagram* Fig 91 Tiananmen Square Massacre

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/04/world/asia/times-coverage-of-tiananmen-square-25-years-ago.html

Fig 92 Tank Man

http://societymatters.org/tag/democracy/page/2/

Fig 93 Tiananmen Square Massacre

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/06/01/asia-pacific/politics-diplomacy-asia-pacific/ look-tiananmen-massacre-aftermath/#.VykKq6ODGko

Fig 94 Umbrella Movement Banner

http://qz.com/288600/beijings-warnings-to-hong-kong-are-growing-more-ominous-by-the-day/

Fig 95 Tear Gassed Umbrella Man

http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/10/01/hong-kong-protests-mark-twist-in-history-of-umbrella

Fig 96 Umbrella Movement Crows

http://www.timeslive.co.za/world/2014/10/28/hong-kong-activists-mark-one-month-of-umbrella-movement

Fig 97 Mid-Level Escalator Conceptual Model* Fig 98 Mid-Level Escalator

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/12507029

Fig 100 Mid-Level Escalator

http://hiprock.tistory.com/177

Fig 101 Mid-Level Escalator

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/75806427

134 | *Indicates work done by author

Fig 102 Mid-Level Escalator Diagram* Fig 103 Mid-Level Escalator Conceptual Rendering A* Fig 104 Mid-Level Escalator Conceptual Rendering B* Fig 105 Mid-Level Escalator Conceptual Model* Fig 106 Mid-Level Escalator Conceptual Model* Fig 107 Mid-Level Escalator Conceptual Model* Fig 108 Bamboo Scaffolding Conceptual Model* Fig 109 Bamboo Scaffolding Knot

http://industrialhistoryhk.org/bamboo-scaffolding/

Fig 110 Bamboo Scaffolding* Fig 111 Cantilever Bamboo Scaffolding

https://shanghaimetalcorporation.wordpress.com/tag/scaffolding-2/

Fig 112 Bamboo Scaffolding Diagram* Fig 113 Bamboo Scaffolding Conceptual Rendering A* Fig 114 Bamboo Scaffolding Conceptual Rendering B* Fig 115 Bamboo Scaffolding Conceptual Model* Fig 116 Bamboo Scaffolding Conceptual Model* Fig 117 Bamboo Scaffolding Conceptual Model* Fig 118 Bamboo Opera House Conceptual Model* Fig 119 Bamboo Opera House Construction* Fig 120 Bamboo Opera House Construction* Fig 121 Bamboo Opera House

http://www.cityu.edu.hk/lib/about/event/cantonese_opera/origins.htm

Fig 122 Bamboo Opera House Diagram* Fig 123 Bamboo Opera House Conceptual Rendering A* Fig 124 Bamboo Opera House Conceptual Rendering B* Fig 125 Bamboo Opera House Conceptual Model*

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