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Embodied projections within a choreographed space

argument

“The new status of the object no longer refers its condition to a spatial mold – in other words, to a relation of form-matter, but to a temporary modulation that implies as much the beginnings of a continuous variation of matter as a continuous development of form” (Deleuze 1993: 19)

Architecture is obsessed with a surface driven performance and an articulation within the realms of the two dimensional choreography. This work argues that, through the use of a field generated density in space and quintessentially volume as a projection medium, choreography becomes a spatial viscous matter that generates spatial qualities rather than illustrating it. The choreographed space (inszenierung) is here designed through the event, transforming the object into the objectile as described by deleuze, an in-between state in the dissolved nothingness of space and time. The performance of embodiment informs this liminality and ultimately creates an embodied projection within a choreographed space.

Embodied projection

Starting point to an exploration into the idea of the transformative capacities of an event and the concept of an embodied choreographed projection is the process and technique behind Magnetic Resonance Images. The process of this non-invasive medical examination technique includes the transformation of a surface described body into a construct of volumetric densities defined by magnetic field constants. The body is transformed into a moldable field of densities (voxels) oscillating into form which in return becomes a projection field rather than a surface. Within this transformation and interpretation process of a virtual form, a first step is the process of distilling spatial fragments from the various density gradients of a field generated MRI. This led to the articulation of the authors body into a spatial continuum – a virtual body. An active and conscious positioning to this spatial construct was achieved by the translation and evolution of the fragments and their physical manifestation into a prototyped organ made of photo-sensitive resin. This became consequently a spatial screen, a 3d projection surface constituting a first iteration in the process to choreograph a space by the means of an articulation of projection embodiment.

One could argue further that by working within scale and through the ontology of the process, the human body condition resonates through an understanding of field and density rather than a neutrality of the surface. Through this process the last residues of surface and ultimately sliced space are a series of secondary organs made of acrylic sheets that allow reflection and refraction of light within the space.

Die Verortung – Choreographed space

The entire installation is hung within a small space of 4 by 2 meters with a hight of 4 meters. The site or becomes very important as through the use of the 1:1 human scale of the choreography, the choice of a closed space and the hanging of the body, as well as the use of projectors in a second iteration of projection, every change to the environment becomes direct part of the installation and hence of the space itself. The choreography of the installation is hence dependent on the viewer in that the original space (Verortung) includes an entropic thermodynamic element to ever so slightly pulsate and distort this ecology – choreography of embodied space.resume

Through two iterations this work argues that space could be seen as a dynamic reactive construct, a 3-dimensional projection field in which the viewer is a part of an embodied choreography. The first iteration uses the MRI event to dissolves the surface driven understanding of body in favor for a continuous moldable form – the second projection allows the reinstatement of a theatrical inszenierung and ultimately allows a conscious positioning within this theater of organs. Surface becomes obsolete in favor of spatial embodied projection and the reiteration of the second body projection within the original embodied projection creates a tentative 4 dimensional quality – a simulacrum.

SLASH: Paper under the knife (Author: David McFadden) features the work of Sara Shafiei and Ben Cowd.

 The book was published to accompany the travelling exhibition by the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York.

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Digital Architecture: Passages Through Hinterlands:

192-page full-colour hardback publication

Authors:

Sara Shafiei & Ruairi Glynn

Book design:

Emily Chicken

Editor:

Joanna Lee.

Digital Architecture: Passages Through Hinterlands is a collection of provocative projects from a young generation of digitally enabled designers. This publication oscillates between the analog and the digital, from concept to realisation, mapping processes as it explores the diverse digital paths that lead innovative spaces, poetic narratives and social interactions.

The book covers a spectrum of London’s leading graduates and young practices, featuring projects from the Architectural Association, Bartlett School of Architecture (UCL), University of Westminster and Royal College of Art, and case studies and interviews with architects including Amanda Levete Architects, Plasma Studio, JDS Architects, sixteen* (makers), Horhizon, marcosandmarjan, Mette Ramsgard Thomsen, Philip Beesley, David Greene, Samantha Hardingham, Usman Haque and Neil Spiller.

To purchase this book please visit:

http://www.passagesthroughhinterlands.com/

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AD: EXUBERANCE

Guest edited by Marjan Colletti (Bartlett unit master- unit 20)

Exuberance features UNIT 20 projects by Ben Cowd, Johan Voordouw and Tobias Klein

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Bartlett Designs (edited by Laura Allen, Iain Borden, Nadia O’Hare and Neil Spillar) features projects by Horhizon members: Ben Cowd, Sara Shafiei, Kenny Kinugasa-Tsui, Tobias Klein and Eva Sommeregger

Back cover: Bartlett Designs: Speculating with Architecture is a collection of the very best of the student work from the last decade. Through a detailed presentation of over 170 student projects, each succinctly explained by the individual tutors concerned, the book shows how architectural designs and ideas can creatively address some of the world’s most pressing urban and social problems through buildings and other forms of architectural invention. The wide range of projects on show deal inventively with such important issues as cultural identity, housing, climate change, health and public space, as well as architectural concerns with the imagination of exciting forms and aesthetic languages.

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AD: Protoarchitecture: Analogue and Digital Hybrids (Edited by Bob Sheil) features work by Horhizon members Sara Shafiei, Kenny Tsui and Tobias Klein

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‘GREEN STYLE’  (author: Marta Serrats) features the work ”Transmission Line Towers” by Dietmar Koering.

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GREEN STYLE brings together the concepts of the eco-philosophy prevalent in the 21st century, offering the reader alternative ways of living which reconcile design and aesthetics with sustainable development. This book contains ecological values and basic principles to achieve a better quality of life.

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The publication: ‘Drawing: The Motive Force of Architecture’ by Sir Peter Cook features the work soft immortality by Tobias Klein.

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Including drawings by Sverre Fehn, Mark Goulthorpe, Zaha Hadid, Ron Herron, Tom Kovak, Enric Miralles, Marcus Novak , Cedric Price, Wolf Prix, and Lebbeus Woods, the publication features some of the drawing heroes of our time and it is a great honor to be featured amongst them with the work synthetic syncretism.

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Focusing on the creative and inventive significance of drawing for architecture, Drawings highlights the work of key contemporary figures who have, through their drawn work, affected the course of architectural thinking. Bringing this together is a chapter-by-chapter series of essays that broadly charts the forward movement and expansion of drawing iconography, techniques and methodologies. Thus it will move from such conditions as Victorian romanticism; Modernist heroics, Minimalism, Diagrams, the representation (and inspiration) of movement, technology and motive power; through to notions and examples of digital automatism. In this way, the advent and challenge of computer-based drawing vis-à-vis ‘sketching’ or technique based drawing will be argued as a natural progression rather than a radical explosion. In particular, there are many examples of hand-in-hand development of a project using several techniques.

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The publication: ‘Neoplasmatic Design’ edited by Marcos Cruz and Steve Pike features extensively the work soft immortality by Tobias Klein.

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The publication: ‘Digital Architecture Now: A Global Survey of Emergent Talent’ edited by Neil Spiller features extensively the work soft immortality by Tobias Klein.

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In his introduction and concluding essay, Neil Spiller places this contemporary work in the context of recent developments and considers the future direction of digital architecture. The heart of the book features architects’ best projects, presented in vivid, colourful and breathtaking detail through texts, plans and renderings that challenge our assumptions about 3-D space and redefine the future of architecture.

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