Thesis Project 5th Year Architecture-2012 SYNOPSIS

Student Name. Roll Number. Date.

Farea Khan 49 28th May 2012

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Aspect II Shock in art and architecture

Research questions What is shock in the arts? What is its application in the arts? What is its application in architecture? The shock debate

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1- Upside down house- (Trassenheide Germany) by Klaudiusz Golos and Sebastion Mikuciuk http://mydesignstories.net/profiles/blog/list?tag=Weird ............................................................................................ 4 Figure 2 morph architecture- http://morphinterior.wordpress.com/2011/02/25/weird-architecture/ ........................ 4 Figure 3- Duck- Ohio, USA(http://oddyfunny.blogspot.com/2010/03/weird-architecture-strange-unique.html) .............. 5 Figure 4 Skyscaper- Isreal (http://www.dezeen.com/2012/02/25/city-portraits-by-victor-enrich/) ............................... 5 Figure 5- Orhid Hotel- Tel Aviv (http://www.dezeen.com/2012/02/25/city-portraits-by-victor-enrich/) ....................... 5 Figure 6- Skate park San Juan, Puerto Rico(http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=69955501773) ................ 6 Figure 7- Skate park San Juan, Puerto Rico(http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=69955501773) ................ 6 Figure 8- Storefront for Art and Architecture, Steven Holl, Vito Acconci, New York, (http://www.momogalerie.com/pieces-of-evidence-today-clothing-tomorrow-buildings/) ................................................ 7 Figure 9- installation in art gallery ................................................................................................................ 7 Figure 10-Convertible Clam Shelter(http://archidose.blogspot.com/2005/02/universal-tourist-part-ii.html) ................ 8

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1 Shock
In the realm of the arts one ventures to seek, entertainment, beauty, creativity, expression, even thrill. The arts are about opening ones mind to independent thought, to question with the event of experiencing new ideas. A recent trend in arts is the shift towards the unexpected and ambiguous. To shock and awe the viewer. Shock refers to any element that arouses the emotion of surprise resulting from an event or experience.i It is generally taken in a negative emotion provocation, however may also be in the event of positive stimulations.

1.1 Shock and art Shock art is a relative contemporary art form; it aims at creating a disturbance amongst its viewers. It uses multiple mediums of images, sounds and smells. Today it remains amongst the top rated in popularity due to its shocking attribute.ii It takes whats acceptable in society and breaks those boundaries to create emotions of astonishment. The effect of post- modernist thought and ideology has triggered an art form that represents transgression and misdemeanor. The ideology is to extract an emotion of any type. Generally the artist is satisfied if the viewer has evoked an emotion. By creating shocking images, actions the artist garentees recognition, however increasingly the debate arises where the art has disappeared and the remainder of inhuman gory remains. This art form originated in the early 19th century in France; pater la bourgeoisie shock the middle class. Amongst the most notable pieces of this type of art is fountain where the artist Marcel Duchamp placed a urinal on display. This piece was voted the most influential work of modern art. iii 1.2 Shock and architecture Architecture too, to stand out succumbed to shock as an element. However, its portrayal was less controversial. Shock in architecture took forth in terms of creating upside down offices, interjecting building, impossible structures, and duck1. In architecture shock need not be as literal as in terms of art, the shock here does not necessarily depict a negative aspect. Its what breaks from the ordinary to create a doubt or confusion.

Duck was the word coined by Robert Venturi to depict a building that fulfils its function and is a literal symbol of the production within the building.

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The shift is described by Walter Benjamin2, he observes that the urban crowd stimulates and was aroused to emotions of fear, horror, and revulsion. He further points out that the inhabitant of the great urban centers reverts to a state of savagerythat is , of isolation3

Figure 1- Upside down house- (Trassenheide Germany) by Klaudiusz Golos and Sebastion Mikuciuk

Figure 2 morph architecture- http://morphinterior.wordpress.com/2011/02/25/weird-architecture/

2 3

Benjamin, Walters (1892-1940)-theorist of modernity (benjamin)

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Figure 3- Duck- Ohio, USA(http://oddyfunny.blogspot.com/2010/03/weird-architecture-strange-unique.html)

Figure 4 Skyscaper- Isreal (http://www.dezeen.com/2012/02/25/city-portraits-by-victor-enrich/)

Figure 5- Orhid Hotel- Tel Aviv (http://www.dezeen.com/2012/02/25/city-portraits-by-victor-enrich/)

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1.2.1

Vito Acconci

Vito Acconci, an artist turned architect, is among the leading shock artists. His work consists of sculptures acting as furniture, and architectural pieces where the architecture requires a direct interaction. The connection of an individual to the space is what interested him into architecture, using the same aspect of creation of intrigue. He broke boundaries of the private and public, the accepted with unaccepted. He exhibited works he called Acts of Architecture. These exhibits and his other works require a direct interaction with the viewer, thus a firsthand experience is required to get the actual feel of the architecture. iv
1.2.1.1 Skateboard Park, San Juan, Puerto Rica

The skate board Park represents the flow of skating and moves over the ocean in some parts, the concept applied to this park was to re-invent the space and make it skateboardable. Making architecture a space to perform and to articulate a from a viewers aspect. He used fluidity lines to portray the smooth movement of the practioners.

Figure 6- Skate park San Juan, Puerto Rico(http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=69955501773)

Figure 7- Skate park San Juan, Puerto Rico(http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=69955501773)

1.2.1.2 Store Front for Art and Architecture, New York Another of Acconis projects was made in collaboration with Steve Holl in 1993, in New York. The project titled Store front for art and architecture is a gallery space. This depicts an imaginative space built as a gallery but can hold multiple uses, a detour on the linear roads of the city, a space for weather shelter. Its rotating walls enable a multitude of options for the gallery design outcome to create and eliminate walls and spaces. He creates a fluidity of spaces linking
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the interior to the exterior, however tries maintaining the order that ones walks through. The rotating walls enable a void when closed and a curiosity when opened.

Figure 8- Storefront for Art and Architecture, Steven Holl, Vito Acconci, New York, (http://www.momogalerie.com/piecesof-evidence-today-clothing-tomorrow-buildings/) NO WALL, NO BARRIER, NO INSIDE, NO OUTSIDE, NO SPACE, NO BUILDING, NO PLACE, NO SPACE, NO INSTITUTION, NO ART, NO ARCHITECTURE, NO ACCONCI, NO HOLL, NO v STOREFRONT.'

Figure 9- installation in art gallery (http://www.architizer.com/en_us/projects/pictures/vito-acconciacconci-studio-acts-of-architecture/25801/222770/)

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1.2.1.3

Convertible Clam Shelter, Acts of architecture, Moving exhibit (U.S.A.)

The installation consists of a large clam structure, created in 1992, it consists of an open clam like structure, in which one can crawl into and it becomes a comfortable lounger.

Figure 10-Convertible Clam Shelter(http://archidose.blogspot.com/2005/02/universal-tourist-part-ii.html)

1.3 The debate Where shock art and architecture is considered it is always surrounded by many debates, firstly the ethics code is crossed. The debate argues where the limit for art ends and where inhumanity sets in. it is said that art has fallen from provocative to ugly. Wether it is moral to actually make the viewers see such obscenity. In the USA many cases have been fought against this kind of art. Critiques argue that these are merely shock tactics and not actual art form. In another instance in Canada, a student planted a sculpture of an explosive device. This was a cause to furthermore moral and emotional scare thus was faced with criticism. Another debate is that this art is popular hence, has become a mere commercial, and today is purely used to gain name and fortune. It is also stated that this art may be becoming obsolete as newer mediums and forms are not being explored, it is argued that all new art is a form of shock art due to the rebellion. Eduward Manets4 Olumpia was claimed to be a shock for its age and time , however today the subject matter would not be considered shocking.

Manet, Edward- 19 century painter, Parisian, realism impressionism.

th

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1.4 Conclusion
a piece of architecture is not architectural because it seduces, or because it fulfils some utilitarian function, but because it sets in motion the operations of seduction and the unconscious.5 Architecture as Bernard Tschumi describes is not depicted by its elements nor its representation, he argues the ignorance of the intent of the society or architect for the building itself, claiming the importance of the representation of ones desire. An individual will internalize the building based on their own desires. He states that architecture is not successful solely for its aesthetics or attractive features, nor because it fulfills the function of the building; but can captivate its audience. Stimulate them such that they may be intrigued by the mystery. Such that a constant yearning remains; irrespective of its non-existence. The process of question/ imagination starts; irrespective of the existence of the element. To engage in independent question of the surrounding, and prompt thought.

(Tshumi)

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i ii

iii iv

http://www.yourdictionary.com/shock http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_art
World's best art piece? A urinal CNN. (December 2, 2004)

(Kalil) v http://www.momogalerie.com/pieces-of-evidence-today-clothing-tomorrow-buildings/

References
http://www.artslant.com/lon/articles/show/11378 http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/acconci.html http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=69955501773

http://www.architizer.com/en_us/projects/pictures/vito-acconciacconci-studio-acts-of-architecture http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/postmodernism.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_art http://www.ideabooks.nl/title/17755/ http://www.coldbacon.com/art/vitoacconci.html http://lancastertheoryofknowledge.blogspot.com/2012/01/shock-art.html

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