Affordances of spaces

Accelerating Knowledge for the SDGs: Life streamed session

A knowledge for humanity should be based on sharing, connecting and caring – where we reconsider the digital economy in terms of closeness and resilience. The recent altered way of living has forced us to retrace our relationship with others, in private and public places, as the use of the digital as a survival tool has allowed for closeness in isolation, and for connection and collaboration while being distant.

‘Affordances of places’ is a live streamed exercise which invites you to join the artist as she takes you to experience the connection to the place where you are, through a routine of movements by way of ‘knowing it’ and thus developing (or becoming aware of) an attachment to it. Aiming at drawing new micro-geographies of difference, while attempting to un-map and un-spatialize space through movement, the digital platform offers the possibility of a shared dialogic experience of the place where you live, where you work or walk, with that of others. An attempt to create closeness through synchronicity. While the piece takes place remotely from a non identified location, this is the first iteration of an evolving series developed from patterns on the ground the artist recorded during her visits in Venice.

The work is part of the developing process in a two year long investigation into ‘architectures of difference’, and is also based on a postcard in sculptor Barbara Hepworth Estate collection (circa 1952), in a note she refers to this in terms of the space between people, it’s relational and social aspects. This piece also evolved from considering the punctuations found in our cities’ grounds, and how these might influence our movements in public space, and in relation to others on the one hand, but also how, through daily interaction, they contribute to developing a sense of attachment and belonging to our home, or places of work, now merging into a new lived reality. The distance between people as we transit through public space, at the centre of the project since the start, is now particularly timely. While we accept that this is measured to guarantee our protection, it might actually erode our sense of freedom and mental health.

Registration required, free access: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JQsmLqR-T3O6EJ1r4iCUUg