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C H A N C E
TRODUCTIONS COINCIDENCES & THESIS PROCESS
(COINCIDENCES)
(TABLE OF CONTENTS)
(THESIS PROCESS BOOK)
CONTENTS 50 QUESTIONS INSPIRATION PROCESS THE COINCIDENCES
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(COINCIDENCES)
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50 Q ‘ S
WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF HOW CAN HOW CAN HOW CAN HOW CAN HOW CAN HOW CAN HOW CAN HOW CAN HOW CAN HOW CAN HOW CAN HOW CAN HOW CAN HOW CAN HOW CAN HOW CAN HOW CAN HOW CAN
MINORITAL GROUPS WERE NOT FORCED TO LIVE IN SEGREGATED AREAS? WE PSYCHOANALYZED EVERYONE IN OUR PATH? ALL HUMANS WERE STRIPPED OF THEIR SMELL, LANGUAGE, TOUCH, OR HEARING? ANIMALS COULD SPEAK A HUMAN LANGUAGE? DIFFERENT SPECIES COULD COMMUNICATE? OUR PERSPECTIVE OF TIME COULD CHANGE? WE COULD SEE OURSELVES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF OTHERS? SAME SEX WAS HETEROSEXUAL AND DIFFERENT SEX WAS HOMOSEXUAL? TIME WAS NOT A CONSTRUCT? WE COULD DECIDE IF WE WERE SELF GUIDED BY OUR HEART, OUR MIND, OR GUT? WE DIDN’T HAVE BORDERS? WE COULD CHOOSE OUR FAMILIES? WOMEN WERE SUPERIOR TO MEN? URBAN SOCIETY WASN’T AS REMOVED FROM NATURE? WHERE YOU WERE BORN DIDN’T AUTOMATICALLY ASSIGN YOU A NATIONALITY? WE DIDN’T SPEND SO MUCH TIME ON OUR PHONES? WE COULD CONTROL OUR DREAMS? WE COULD HEAR EACH OTHER’S THOUGHTS? THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION NEVER HAPPENED? POLITICAL PARTIES DID NOT EXIST? EVERYONE YOU LOVED ALSO LOVED EACH OTHER? WE KNEW OUR PAST SOUL’S LIFE BEFORE IT WAS OUR OWN? THE ENVIRONMENT REACT IF WE GET RID OF ALL TOXIC WASTE? THE SAME OPEN RESOURCE CREATE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT OUTCOMES? HUMAN LIFE ONLY EXIST ON EARTH? WE DIFFERENTIATE AN INTROVERT FROM AN EXTROVERT? HUMANS DEFINE INTELLIGENCE? WE FIGURE OUT CULTURE THROUGH CUISINE? WE BE MINDFUL OF HOW TECHNOLOGY DIRECTLY IMPACTS PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS? WE RECONSTRUCT THE IDEAS OF GENDER AND SEXUALITY? WE STOP TECHNOLOGY FROM DESTROYING OUR ECOSYSTEM? WE RID OF GENDER STEREOTYPES IN MILLENNIALS? WE CONNECT THE CITY TO THE SUBURBS? THIS GENERATION SAVE OUR PLANET? SCIENCE CHANGE DESIGN? WE ALTER OUR GENES ONCE YOU ARE BORN? WE KNOW WHAT BEAUTY IS WITHOUT OUR VISION? YOU BEST CHANNEL YOURSELF THROUGH YOUR ART? WE LEARN NOT TO TREAT OTHER’S ISSUES AS OUR OWN? ONE CREATE A NEW RELIGION?
HOW CAN
/ WHAT IF
WHEN ASKED TO CONFIGURE 50 QUESTIONS AND THEN PRESENT THEM, THE ONES THAT STOOD OUT TO ME MOST WERE ABOUT TIME.
WHAT IF WE COULD HEAR EACH OTHER’S THOUGHTS?
WHAT IF WE COULD BREATHE UNDERWATER?
WHAT IF URBAN SOCIETY WASN’T AS REMOVED FROM NATURE?
WHAT IF AND WHERE CAN OUR SPIRITS EXIST AFTER WE DIE?
WHAT IF WE FEEL NO CONNECTION TO OUR FAMILY?
HOW CAN WE LISTEN BETTER TO OTHERS?
HOW CAN WE PRACTICE EMPATHY?
HOW CAN WE RID OF GENDER STEREOTYPES IN MILLENNIALS?
HOW CAN WE PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO ALL PEOPLE IN SOCIETY?
HOW CAN WE BE ALONE WITHOUT FEELING LONELY?
HOW CAN WE KNOW IF WE’VE REACHED OUR POTENTIAL?
HOW CAN WE LOVE SOMEONE THAT CAN HURT US?
HOW CAN WE LEARN TO BE DEFIANT WITHOUT BEING IGNORANT?
(THESIS PROCESS BOOK)
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WHAT IF OUR PERSPECTIVE OF TIME COULD CHANGE? WHAT IF TIME WAS NOT A CONSTRUCT?
THIS PROJECT IS A SLOT-MACHINE VIDEO EXPERIMENT. THE VIDEO PLAYS ON A CONTINUOUS LOOP IN THE SAME WAY TIME FLIES BY BEFORE OUR EYES. LIKE WE ARE PROMPTED TO CROSS A STREET, THE VIEWER IS ASKED TO STOP AND START THE FLOW OF QUESTIONS AS THEY LOOP. THIS THEN ALLOWS CHANCE TO CHOOSE A QUESTION FOR THE VIEWER TO PONDER AMONGST THEMSELVES AND OTHERS AROUND THEM.
10 HOW CAN WE RID OF GENDER STEREOTYPES IN MILLENNIALS? (NICK GUADAGNO, 22) PUSH BOUNDARIES — THEN PUSH SOME MORE. WE CREATE STEREOTYPES BECAUSE THEY’RE EASY TO PACKAGE. BUT PEOPLE DON’T FIT SO NEATLY IN BOXES. THE GREY AREA IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE. I THINK IT’S THE ONLY PLACE TO “LIVE”.
HOW CAN WE LISTEN BETTER TO OTHERS? (KYLE KELLY, 22) DON’T MAKE EVERY CONVERSATION ABOUT YOURSELF. THERE’S NO NEED TO ALWAYS COMMENT ON SOMETHING OR INTERJECT WITH A STORY THAT LOOSELY RELATES TO YOU. SILENCE IS SOMETIMES NECESSARY TO FULLY ABSORB WHAT SOMEONE IS SAYING TO YOU.
WHAT IF WE FEEL NO CONNECTION TO OUR FAMILY?
(50 QUESTIONS)
(NIKTA KHANI, 21) UNFORTUNATELY, THAT’S REALITY FOR MANY PEOPLE — NOT FEELING A STRONG CONNECTION TO THEIR BLOOD RELATIVES. I’M THANKFUL I HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF CONNECTION TO MY FAMILY. I IMAGINE, IF I DIDN’T, I WOULD INEVITABLY MAKE A FAMILY OUT OF OTHER PEOPLE IN MY LIFE. “FAMILY” IS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, SUPPORT, WHAT INSTILLS YOUR SENSE OF PURPOSE AND VALUES, THOSE THAT MAKE YOU FEEL STRONG. IT’S YOUR COMMUNITY. I DON’T THINK WE CAN GO WITHOUT FAMILY, OR MY UNDERSTANDING OF IT WHERE IT’S SYNONYMOUS WITH COMMUNITY. LIFE IS LARGELY MAINTAINING AND HUNTING FOR DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF “FAMILY”.
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(THESIS PROCESS BOOK)
S E
WHAT IF AND WHERE CAN OUR SPIRITS EXIST AFTER WE DIE?
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(JULIETA RAKOVER, 21) I LIKE TO THINK THAT THEY AT LEAST EXIST IN THE CHAIN REACTIONS WE STARTED WHILE WE WERE ALIVE. IDK IF THEY EXIST AS A CONSCIOUSNESS AT ALL BUT I DO SEE THEM AS CONTINUOUS WAVES THAT BUMP INTO OTHERS AND MAKE NEW ONES. LIKE IF YOU’RE AN ARTIST AND AFTER YOU’RE GONE YOUR ART SPARKS A CONVERSATION, OR YOU HAVE SOMEONES ADVICE WHILE YOU WERE ALIVE AND THEY ACT ON IT OR PASS IT ALONG TO THEIR KIDS, OR YOU PLANTED A TREE WHEN YOU WERE IN KINDERGARTEN AND SOMEONE ATE A FRUIT OFF IT, ETC.
O N
WHAT IF URBAN SOCIETY WASN’T AS REMOVED FROM NATURE? (ANA NAZARI, 21) WOULD WE EVEN HAVE AN URBAN SOCIETY THEN? I THINK MOTHER NATURE WOULD BE MUCH HAPPIER WITH US. SIGNIFICANTLY LESS POLLUTION, A CLEANER EARTH, LESS GLOBAL WARMING AND ULTIMATELY LESS FEAR AS WE ARE MORE IN TOUCH WITH THE NATURAL WORLD.
WHAT IF WE COULD HEAR EACH OTHER’S THOUGHTS? (WES BODKIN, 22) I’M SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE’S FEELINGS WOULD GET HURT... BUT I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT OVER TIME WE WOULD BECOME MORE MINDFUL ABOUT THE THOUGHTS WE ALLOW TO COME INTO OUR CONSCIENCES- NOT ONLY ABOUT OTHERS BUT ALSO ABOUT OURSELVES.
C E
S
(INSPIRATION)
INSPIRATION
(THESIS PROCESS BOOK)
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THREE EXTRAORDINARY COINCIDENCES IN NATURE THAT HAVE SHAPED HUMAN EXPERIENCE
(INSPIRATION)
LIFE IS FULL OF COINCIDENCES, FROM CHANCE MEETINGS TO LIFE-CHANGING EVENTS. NATURE, TOO, IS FULL OF FASCINATING COINCIDENCES. IF RUNNING INTO AN OLD FRIEND IN A BUSY CITY SEEMS REMARKABLE, THEN COINCIDENCES ON A UNIVERSAL OR ATOMIC SCALE CAN SEEM MIND-BLOWING. SOMETIMES SUCH SEEMING COINCIDENCES HAVE A PERFECTLY RATIONAL EXPLANATION, BUT SOMETIMES THEY ARE NO MORE THAN QUIRKS OF HOW THE UNIVERSE HAS EVOLVED. HERE ARE THREE OF THE MOST FASCINATING COINCIDENCES IN NATURE, WHICH HAVE SHAPED THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE. 1. THE SUN AND THE MOON APPEAR THE SAME SIZE FROM EARTH. DURING A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE, THE MOON LINES UP EXACTLY WITH THE SUN, OBSCURING IT COMPLETELY. ALL WE CAN SEE IS THE SUN’S FAINT, WISPY ATMOSPHERE, KNOWN AS THE CORONA. THIS IS A BIT STRANGE, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, SINCE THE TWO CELESTIAL BODIES ARE MASSIVELY DIFFERENT IN SIZE AND DISTANCE FROM US. THE MOON’S DIAMETER IS AROUND 3,474 KM. THE SUN’S IS 1,400,000 KM, ABOUT 400 TIMES BIGGER. BY A COINCIDENCE THE MOON IS ABOUT 384,403 KM FROM THE EARTH AND THE SUN 150,000,000 KM, ABOUT 400 TIMES FURTHER AWAY. SO, FROM AN OBSERVER’S PERSPECTIVE, THE SIZE AND DISTANCE CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT AND THEY APPEAR TO US ABOUT THE SAME SIZE IN THE SKY. WE DON’T ALWAYS SEE TOTAL ECLIPSES WHEN THE SUN AND MOON ALIGN BECAUSE THE RELATIVE SIZE OF THE TWO BODIES ACTUALLY DOES CHANGE BY A SMALL AMOUNT. THE MOON ORBITS EARTH IN AN ELLIPTICAL SHAPE THAT IS ONLY NEARLY CIRCULAR, SO THAT THERE IS
ABOUT A 12% DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CLOSEST AND FURTHEST DISTANCES OF THE MOON FROM THE EARTH, MAKING IT SOMETIMES APPEAR LARGER (A SUPERMOON) AND SOMETIMES SMALLER. THIS DETERMINES WHETHER WE EXPERIENCE A TOTAL OR AN ANNULAR ECLIPSE, A RING OF FIRE AROUND THE MOON’S DISC. THE TOTAL ECLIPSE IS THE MOST SPECTACULAR, AND ALL THANKS TO THIS CHANCE OCCURRENCE IN THE LAYOUT OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM. 1. OXYGEN LEVELS AT THE HIGHEST POINT ON EARTH, EVEREST, ARE AT THE LOWEST LIMIT HUMANS CAN TOLERATE THE ALPINE CLUB IN LONDON HOLDS AN INTERESTING 1920 PAPER BY SCOTTISH CHEMIST AND MOUNTAINEER, ALEXANDER KELLAS (18681921), WHICH PREDICTED IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE—JUST!—TO CLIMB EVEREST WITHOUT USING SUPPLEMENTARY OXYGEN. WHEN KELLAS DIED ON THE FIRST EVEREST RECONNAISSANCE EXPEDITION THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THIS PAPER DISAPPEARED INTO THE ARCHIVES. WHEN IT WAS REDISCOVERED IN THE 1960S, MANY CONTINUED TO FAVOR THE OPINION THAT EVEREST COULD NOT BE CLIMBED WITHOUT SUPPLEMENTARY OXYGEN. THIS WAS FINALLY DISPROVEN IN 1978 WHEN REINHOLD MESSNER AND PETER HABELER DID JUST THAT. WHICH BEGS THE QUESTION, COULD WE GO EVEN HIGHER? AS YOU GO HIGHER, THE AIR GETS THINNER–MEANING THE PRESSURE IS LOWER, MOLECULES ARE FURTHER APART AND YOU TAKE IN LESS OXYGEN WITH EACH BREATH.IF YOU ASCEND SLOWLY THE BODY ADAPTS TO USE LESS OXYGEN, BUT ONLY UP TO A POINT. ABOVE AROUND 26,000 FEET OR 8000 METERS–THE SO-CALLED “DEATH ZONE”–NORMAL HUMAN FUNCTIONS CAN NO LONGER BE MAINTAINED. YOU WILL NOT IMMEDIATELY DIE AS THERE
(THESIS PROCESS BOOK)
IS STILL SOME OXYGEN AVAILABLE, BUT THE BODY WILL RAPIDLY DETERIORATE AS IT FAILS TO TAKE ON ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN ITSELF. CLIMBERS MUST ASCEND 3000 FEET IN THE DEATH ZONE TO REACH THE SUMMIT OF EVEREST. AT THE SUMMIT, THERE IS ENOUGH OXYGEN IN THE AIR TO BREATHE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. BUT THE PEAK OF EVEREST MUST BE VERY CLOSE TO THE LIMIT OF HUMAN ENDURANCE. IF EVEREST WERE A FEW HUNDRED METERS HIGHER, THE PHYSIOLOGICAL CHALLENGE WOULD BE BEYOND HUMAN CAPABILITY.EVEN THE WEATHER CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POSSIBILITY AND IMPOSSIBILITY—MOST CLIMBERS GO FOR THE SUMMIT DURING DAYS OF FAIR WEATHER AND CORRESPONDINGLY HIGH BAROMETRIC PRESSURE. MOREOVER, THE BAROMETRIC PRESSURE TOWARDS THE EQUATOR IS GREATER THAN THAT TOWARDS THE POLES, SO IF EVEREST WERE LOCATED FURTHER NORTH IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THE MOUNTAIN COULD BE CLIMBED WITHOUT OXYGEN. EXACTLY HOW MUCH HIGHER WE CAN GO WITHOUT OXYGEN IS HARD TO TEST. ASIDE FROM THE VAGARIES OF WEATHER, THERE ARE NO SUMMITS HIGHER THAN EVEREST AND LIFTING AN ACCLIMATIZED HUMAN INCREMENTALLY ABOVE THE SUMMIT WOULD BE DANGEROUS FOR ALL SORTS OF REASONS, NOT LEAST THAT HELICOPTERS OR DRONES CANNOT FLY AT SUCH HIGH ALTITUDES (AS DISCUSSED HERE). BUT MOST PEOPLE AGREE THAT, COINCIDENTALLY, THE HIGHEST GEOGRAPHICAL POINT IN THE WORLD IS FAIRLY CLOSE TO THE HIGHEST POINT THAT UNASSISTED HUMAN BEINGS CAN PHYSICALLY ENDURE. 1. WATER GETS LESS DENSE WHEN IT FREEZES WATER IS THE MOST ABUNDANT LIQUID ON EARTH. BUT CHEMICALLY SPEAKING IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE STRANGEST. AND THAT IS LUCKY FOR US, BECAUSE WE OWE OUR EXISTENCE TO THIS ANOMALY. MOST SUBSTANCES ARE DENSER IN THEIR FROZEN STATE THAN THEIR LIQUID STATE, BUT WATER IS THE OPPOSITE. THIS MEANS THAT ICE FLOATS TO THE TOP OF A GLASS OF WATER, OR A LAKE. THIS IS GOOD NEWS. IF ICE SANK, LAKES WOULD KEEP REFREEZING AND MORE
AND MORE ICE WOULD SINK, EVENTUALLY KILLING THE LIFE WITHIN IT. BECAUSE ICE FLOATS, LAKES CAN FREEZE OVER AND THE LIFE BENEATH IT CAN SURVIVE. WITHOUT THIS ODDITY OF H2O, THE VARIOUS ICE AGES WOULD HAVE WIPED OUT MANY LIFE FORMS AND CHANGED THE COURSE OF EVOLUTION. A WATER MOLECULE IS MADE FROM ONE OXYGEN AND TWO HYDROGEN ATOMS JOINED BY CHEMICAL (COVALENT) BONDS. WATER MOLECULES ARE ALSO ATTRACTED TO EACH OTHER VIA ELECTROMAGNETIC FORCES BETWEEN THE POSITIVELY CHARGED HYDROGEN ATOMS AND THE NEGATIVELY CHARGED OXYGEN ATOMS—THESE ARE CALLED HYDROGEN BONDS.WHEN WATER IS IN THE LIQUID STATE THE MOLECULE MOVEMENT IS DISORDERED AND HYDROGEN BONDS ARE MADE AND BROKEN RAPIDLY. WHEN WATER FREEZES, THE MOLECULES LOSE ENERGY. THE STRUCTURE NATURALLY SETTLES INTO A HEXAGONAL CRYSTAL LATTICE WHERE EACH WATER MOLECULE FORMS HYDROGEN BONDS WITH FOUR NEIGHBORING MOLECULES. THESE BONDS HOLD EACH WATER MOLECULE AWAY FROM THE OTHERS. THIS EXTRA DISTANCE BETWEEN THE MOLECULES MAKES ICE LESS DENSE THAN WATER. AND SO, LIFE AS WE KNOW IT BECAME POSSIBLE. HOW CAN YOU EXPLAIN THESE COINCIDENCES IN NATURE? THOSE EXPECTING SCIENCE TO EXPLAIN WHY NATURE ENDOWS US WITH THESE EXTRAORDINARY COINCIDENCES MAY BE DISAPPOINTED. SOMETHING HAD TO HAPPEN. HAD IT HAPPENED DIFFERENTLY, WE MAY NOT BE HERE TO OBSERVE IT. THE VERY FACT OF OUR EXISTENCE IS AN EXTRAORDINARY COINCIDENCE. THE PHYSICIST RICHARD FEYNMAN ONCE SAID: “THE MOST AMAZING THING HAPPENED TO ME TONIGHT. I SAW A CAR WITH THE LICENSE PLATE ARW 357. CAN YOU IMAGINE? OF ALL THE MILLIONS OF LICENSE PLATES IN THE STATE, WHAT WAS THE CHANCE THAT I WOULD SEE THAT PARTICULAR ONE TONIGHT?”
BY MELANIE WINDRIDGE ON FORBES.COM
(INSPIRATION)
ALEXEY TITARENKO’S LONG EXPOSURE PHOTOGRAPHY
(THESIS PROCESS BOOK)
RINEKE DIJKSTR A’S ALMER SIA PORTRAITS, 1994-2008
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OLAFUR ELIASSON BIBLIOGRAPHY OLAFUR ELIASSON’S ART IS DRIVEN BY HIS INTERESTS IN PERCEPTION, MOVEMENT, EMBODIED EXPERIENCE, AND FEELINGS OF SELF. HE STRIVES TO MAKE THE CONCERNS OF ART RELEVANT TO SOCIETY AT LARGE. ART, FOR HIM, IS A CRUCIAL MEANS FOR TURNING THINKING INTO DOING IN THE WORLD. ELIASSON’S WORKS SPAN SCULPTURE, PAINTING, PHOTOGRAPHY, FILM, AND INSTALLATION. NOT LIMITED TO THE CONFINES OF THE MUSEUM AND GALLERY, HIS PRACTICE ENGAGES THE BROADER PUBLIC SPHERE THROUGH ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTS, INTERVENTIONS IN CIVIC SPACE, ARTS EDUCATION, POLICY-MAKING, AND ISSUES OF SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE.
(INSPIRATION)
ELIASSON WAS BORN IN 1967. HE GREW UP IN ICELAND AND DENMARK AND STUDIED FROM 1989 TO 1995 AT THE ROYAL DANISH ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS. IN 1995, HE MOVED TO BERLIN AND FOUNDED STUDIO OLAFUR ELIASSON, WHICH TODAY COMPRISES A LARGE TEAM OF CRAFTSMEN, ARCHITECTS, ARCHIVISTS, RESEARCHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, COOKS, PROGRAMMERS, ART HISTORIANS, AND SPECIALISED TECHNICIANS. SINCE THE MID-1990S, ELIASSON HAS REALISED NUMEROUS MAJOR EXHIBITIONS AND PROJECTS AROUND THE WORLD. IN 2003, ELIASSON REPRESENTED DENMARK AT THE 50TH VENICE BIENNALE, WITH THE BLIND PAVILION. LATER THAT YEAR, HE INSTALLED THE WEATHER PROJECT IN TATE MODERN’S TURBINE HALL, LONDON. TAKE YOUR TIME: OLAFUR ELIASSON, A SURVEY EXHIBITION ORGANISED BY SFMOMA IN 2007, TRAVELLED UNTIL 2010 TO VARIOUS VENUES, INCLUDING THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, NEW YORK. INNEN STADT AUSSEN (INNER CITY OUT), AT
MARTIN-GROPIUS-BAU IN 2010, INVOLVED INTERVENTIONS ACROSS BERLIN AS WELL AS IN THE MUSEUM. SIMILARLY, IN 2011, SEU CORPO DA OBRA (YOUR BODY OF WORK) ENGAGED WITH THREE INSTITUTIONS AROUND SÃO PAULO – SESC POMPEIA, SESC BELENZINHO, AND PINACOTECA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO – AND SPREAD OUT INTO THE CITY ITSELF. IN 2014, RIVERBED FILLED AN ENTIRE WING OF DENMARK’S LOUISIANA MUSEUM OF MODERN ART WITH STONES AND WATER, EMULATING A RIVER IN A ROCKY LANDSCAPE; LATER THAT YEAR, CONTACT FORMED THE INAUGURAL EXHIBITION AT FONDATION LOUIS VUITTON, PARIS. VERKLIGHETSMASKINER (REALITY MACHINES), AT THE MODERNA MUSEET IN STOCKHOLM IN 2015, BECAME THE MUSEUM’S MOST VISITED SHOW BY A LIVING ARTIST. IN 2016, ELIASSON CREATED A SERIES OF INTERVENTIONS FOR THE PALACE AND GARDENS OF VERSAILLES AND MOUNTED TWO LARGE-SCALE EXHIBITIONS: NOTHINGNESS IS NOT NOTHING AT ALL, AT LONG MUSEUM, SHANGHAI, AND THE PARLIAMENT OF POSSIBILITIES, AT LEEUM, SAMSUNG MUSEUM OF ART, SEOUL. GREEN LIGHT – AN ARTISTIC WORKSHOP, CREATED IN COLLABORATION WITH TBA21 (THYSSENBORNEMISZA ART CONTEMPORARY), OFFERS A RESPONSE TO THE CHALLENGES OF MASS DISPLACEMENT AND MIGRATION. ORIGINALLY HOSTED BY TBA21 IN VIENNA IN 2016, THE PROJECT WAS PART OF VIVA ARTE VIVA, THE 57TH INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION – LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA, 2017. ELIASSON’S SITE-SPECIFIC INSTALLATION REALITY PROJECTOR OPENED AT THE MARCIANO FOUNDATION, LOS ANGELES, IN MARCH 2018, THE SAME MONTH AS HIS SOLO EXHIBITION THE UNSPEAKABLE OPENNESS OF THINGS AT RED BRICK ART MUSEUM, BEIJING.
(THESIS PROCESS BOOK)
IN 2019, IN REAL LIFE, A WIDE-RANGING SURVEY EXHIBITION OF ELIASSON’S ARTISTIC PRACTICE OVER THE PAST TWENTY-FIVE YEARS, OPENED AT TATE MODERN, IN LONDON, AND TRAVELLED TO GUGGENHEIM BILBAO IN 2020. OLAFUR ELIASSON: SYMBIOTIC SEEING OPENED AT KUNSTHAUS ZÜRICH IN JANUARY 2020 AND SOMETIMES THE RIVER IS THE BRIDGE WILL OPEN IN TOKYO IN 2020. ELIASSON HAS ALSO PRODUCED NUMEROUS PROJECTS IN PUBLIC SPACE. GREEN RIVER WAS CARRIED OUT IN VARIOUS CITIES BETWEEN 1998 AND 2001. ELIASSON DESIGNED SERPENTINE GALLERY PAVILION 2007 TOGETHER WITH ARCHITECT KJETIL THORSEN FOR LONDON’S KENSINGTON GARDENS. THE NEW YORK CITY WATERFALLS, COMMISSIONED BY THE PUBLIC ART FUND, WERE INSTALLED ALONG THE CITY’S WATERFRONTS IN 2008. YOUR RAINBOW PANORAMA, A CIRCULAR COLOURED-GLASS WALKWAY ATOP AROS MUSEUM, AARHUS, DENMARK, OPENED IN 2011. HARPA REYKJAVIK CONCERT HALL AND CONFERENCE CENTRE, 2011, FOR WHICH ELIASSON CREATED THE FACADES IN COLLABORATION WITH HENNING LARSEN ARCHITECTS, WON THE MIES VAN DER ROHE AWARD 2013. ICE WATCH BROUGHT MELTING ICEBERGS FROM GREENLAND TO COPENHAGEN IN 2014 AND TO PARIS ON THE OCCASION OF THE COP21 CLIMATE CONFERENCE IN 2015. FJORDENHUS IN VEJLE, DENMARK, THE FIRST BUILDING DESIGNED ENTIRELY BY ELIASSON AND THE ARCHITECTURAL TEAM AT STUDIO OLAFUR ELIASSON, WAS COMPLETED IN JUNE 2018.
ELECTRICITY, ENCOURAGES SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SALES OF LITTLE SUN SOLAR-POWERED LAMPS AND CHARGERS, AND RAISES GLOBAL AWARENESS OF THE NEED FOR EQUAL ACCESS TO ENERGY AND LIGHT.ELIASSON AND ARCHITECT SEBASTIAN BEHMANN FOUNDED STUDIO OTHER SPACES, AN INTERNATIONAL OFFICE FOR ART AND ARCHITECTURE, IN BERLIN IN 2014. AS AN ARCHITECTURAL COUNTERPART TO STUDIO OLAFUR ELIASSON IN THE SAME BUILDING, STUDIO OTHER SPACES FOCUSES ON INTERDISCIPLINARY AND EXPERIMENTAL BUILDING PROJECTS AND WORKS IN PUBLIC SPACE (WWW.STUDIOOTHERSPACES.NET). IN 2019 ELIASSON WAS APPOINTED GOODWILL AMBASSADOR FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY AND CLIMATE ACTION BY THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME. ELIASSON LIVES AND WORKS IN COPENHAGEN AND BERLIN. BIBLIOGRAPHY FROM OLAFURELIASSON.NET
AS A PROFESSOR AT THE BERLIN UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS, ELIASSON LED THE INSTITUT FÜR RAUMEXPERIMENTE (INSTITUTE FOR SPATIAL EXPERIMENTS; 2009–14), A FIVE-YEAR EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMME IN ARTS EDUCATION LOCATED IN THE SAME BUILDING AS HIS STUDIO (WWW. RAUMEXPERIMENTE.NET). IN 2012, ELIASSON AND ENGINEER FREDERIK OTTESEN FOUNDED THE SOCIAL BUSINESS LITTLE SUN. THIS GLOBAL PROJECT PROVIDES CLEAN, AFFORDABLE ENERGY TO COMMUNITIES WITHOUT ACCESS TO
THE WEATHER PROJECT, TATE MODERN, 2003
(INSPIRATION)
SCOTT THRIFT’S THE PRESENT CLOCK
(THESIS PROCESS BOOK)
DAVID LLYOD YU N’S MISSED CONNECTIONS, 2002-2006
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EVOLUTION OF MAN TIME HEALS WOUNDS TIME CONSTRUCTS COINCIDENCES - THE IDEA OF CHANCE, TIMING IS SO IMPARATIVE TO HOW OUR LIVES UNFOLD. DAY VS NIGHT, LIGHT VS DARK
T I M E .T O P I C S / W O R D .V O M PRECEPTION OF TIME ROUTINE
(PROCESS)
COMING OF AGE TIME ZONES TIME TRAVELING LIGHT VS SOUND
(THESIS PROCESS BOOK)
THEN, COVID-19 HIT.
L DEAR
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THINGS ARE DIFFERENT NOW. YOU NO LONGER HAVE YOU STUDIO SPACE, THE PRINTERS AT 808, ACCESS TO BLICK, SOME TYPE OF PAPER SOURCE, AND THE IN PERSON CONVERSATIONS AND CRITIQUES FROM YOUR TEACHERS AND PEERS.
(PROCESS)
YET, SOME THINGS STILL REMAIN THE SAME. YOU ARE STILL A GREAT DESIGNER, WITH A BRAIN FULL OF IDEAS, A COMPUTER WITH HIGH SPEED WIFI, A INKJET PRINTER - FREE TO USE, A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD, A MOTHER WHO KNOWS DAMN WELL HOW TO COOK, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, PARENTS WHO LOVE YOU AND WOULD DO ANYTHING TO WATCH YOU SUCCEED. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. SO I COULD SAY, YOU ARE VERY BLESSED. ALTHOUGH YOUR SENIOR THESIS WILL NO LONGER BE A GALLERY SHOW AT 808, WHERE YOU CAN SHARE WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED ALL THESE YEARS AT CFA WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY, THIS WILL NOT STOP YOU FROM CREATING SOMETHING YOU’RE PROUD OF. SOMETHING YOU WILL PUT IN YOUR PORTFOLIO, SOMETHING YOU WILL SHOW YOUR NEXT EMPLOYER, SOMETHING YOU WILL SHARE WITH YOUR CHILDREN WHEN THE TIME COMES, AND SOMETHING YOU CAN SAY YOU ACCOMPLISHED AMONGST THE CHAOS OF COVID-19 IN YEAR 2020.
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(THESIS PROCESS BOOK)
SO HOW WILL YOU DO THIS
?
THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS WILL REQUIRE A LOT OF TRIAL AND ERROR, WORKING A LITTLE EVERYDAY TOWARDS YOUR END GOAL. YOU WILL USE THE SPACE THAT IS AVAILABLE TO YOU, WHETHER THAT’S THE RAILINGS IN YOUR BACKYARD TO HANG THINGS FROM, THE PLAIN WHITE WALL THAT STANDS BESIDE YOUR BED TO PASTE THINGS TO, THE UNUSED AND UNWANTED PIECES OF WOOD FROM YOUR FATHER’S CONSTRUCTION JOB TO BUILD WITH, OR YOUR BEAUTIFUL CAMERA YOU CAN TAKE WITH YOU ON A WALK OR DRIVE TO CAPTURE CERTAIN MOMENTS THAT RELATE TO YOUR WORK. USE THAT CAMERA TO DOCUMENT YOUR PROGRESS, EVERY STEP ALONG THE WAY. THAT WAY YOU CAN SHARE THIS INDEPENDENT JOURNEY WITH OTHERS, WHICH WILL NOT ONLY INSPIRE YOU TO KEEP WORKING BUT INSPIRE OTHERS TO CREATE WORK THAT IS MEANINGFUL TO THEM AS WELL. YOU NO LONGER HAVE THE ENDLESS AMOUNTS OF DISTRACTIONS THAT FOLLOWED YOU WHILE YOU WERE A STUDENT LIVING IN BOSTON. DON’T WASTE THIS PRECIOUS AND QUITE TIME. USE IT AS AN ADVANTAGE TO REALLY FOCUS ON YOUR THESIS AND WHY YOU’RE CREATING WHAT YOUR CREATING. ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOUR MAXIMUM POTENTIAL IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF YOUR MAXIMUM FEAR, SO PUSH YOURSELF TO TAKE RISKS, DON’T BE AFRAID TO USE MATERIALS YOU’VE NEVER USED BEFORE, TAKE THE PRESSURE OUT OF IT, AND HAVE FUN. REMEMBER THAT NOTHING IS PERMANENT AND EVERYTHING IS TEMPORARY.
TRULY, S A R A H
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T O C H A N G E
CHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT. AND WHEN YOU FORGET, READ OVER THIS LETTER AGAIN. YOU ARE GOING TO DO GREAT THINGS, YOU ALREADY HAVE AND YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO, JUST BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.
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THEISIS STATEMENT SOMETIMES OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS ARE DEVELOPED IN WAYS WE CANNOT PREDICT. THE PEOPLE WE MEET BY COINCIDENCE, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO LEAVE A LASTING IMPRESSION, MIGHT SEEM TO BE INTRODUCED TO US BY CHANCE. AND AS WE EMBRACE THE NOTION OF CHANCE, WE RELINQUISH THE CONTROL WE HAVE OVER THESE INSTANCES. HOWEVER, THESE RANDOMIZED OCCURRENCES ALSO GRANT US THE POWER TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR EXISTENCE, CREATE MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE TO OUR LIVES AND THE EVENTS THAT UNFOLD BEFORE US, AND BEGIN TO FEEL LIKE THEY WERE PLANNED ALL ALONG. THEREFORE, THE PEOPLE INTRODUCED TO US THROUGH COINCIDENCES ARE PART OF BOTH A CONTROLLED AND UNCONTROLLED INTERACTION THAT WE MAY EXPERIENCE AT SOME POINT IN TIME. FOR MY THESIS PROJECT, I WISH TO SHARE THE STORIES OF BOTH MY OWN AND OTHERS’ COINCIDENCES AND HOW CHANCE CREATED THESE INFORMAL INTRODUCTIONS. MY INSTALLATION WILL PROMPT YOU TO INTERACT WITH A SET OF FIGURES THAT ARE BROKEN UP INTO PARTS WHERE INDIVIDUAL PIECES CAN BE MOVED AROUND TO CREATE COMPLETELY NEW FIGURES. EACH FIGURE WILL REPRESENT ONE OF THESE COINCIDENTAL STORIES. SIMILAR TO COINCIDENCES, THE INSTALLATION IS UNCONTROLLABLE BY ITS PREDETERMINED PARTS, BUT ALSO CREATES NEW RELATIONSHIPS WITH THUS PARTS THAT ARE CUSTOMIZED AND CONTROLLED BY YOU.
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SKETCH BOOK
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M
T E
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WHEN I WAS FIRST DISCOVERING WHAT I WANTED TO SAY ABOUT THE POWER OF A COINCIDENCE, I KNEW IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH PATHS OVERLAPPING FOR NO APPARENT REASON. FOR A WHILE I STRUGGLED WITH WHAT I WANTED TO SAY ABOUT COINCIDENCES OR WHY I HAD SUCH A LARGE APPRECIATION FOR THEM. HOWEVER, WHEN I CAME HOME FROM SCHOOL AFTER SPRING BREAK, I REALIZED THAT I NEEDED TO STOP THINKING SO HARD ABOUT IT. I WAS SO WRAPPED UP IN MY RESEARCH, TRYING TO FIND THE MOST ANALYTICAL VERSION OF AN ARGUMENT, THAT I LOST SIGHT OF WHAT WAS TRULY SPECIAL TO ME ABOUT THE COINCIDENCE. THINKING BACK TO ALL THE MAGICAL MOMENTS AND STORIES THAT SURROUNDED THE COINCIDENCE IN MY OWN EXPERIENCES, I THEN KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT FOR MY PROJECT. I THINK THAT WAS THE HARDEST PART OF THE PROCESS. FROM THAT MOMENT ON, MY PROGRESS AND CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT FELT VERY NATURAL, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE PROJECT WAS A MORE PERSONAL ONE AND LESS ABOUT THE COMPLEXITY OF THE SUBJECT ITSELF. ALTHOUGH I WOULD CONSIDER MYSELF A GRAPHIC DESIGNER, I DO BELIEVE I AM STILL A STUDIO ARTIST, SO THE IDEA TO BUILD SOMETHING
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O D
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PHYSICAL WAS DEFINITELY IN THE CARDS REGARDLESS OF OUR THESIS SHOW GOING ONLINE. THE INTERACTIVE SCULPTURE IDEA WAS ONE OF THE FIRST IDEAS I HAD AND I QUICKLY DECIDED TO STICK WITH IT. I STARTED BY SKETCHING A MOCK UP OF WHAT I ENVISIONED THE SCULPTURE TO LOOK LIKE AND FROM THERE, I DECIDED TO MAKE A MINI PROTO-TYPE TO SHOW MY CLASSMATES AND FACULTY. GOING BACK TO THE IDEA OF OVERLAPPING, I WANTED TO MAKE SOMETHING WITH DEPTH. THE IDEA WAS WELL RECEIVED FROM MY CLASS AND I STARTED TO WORK ON IT RIGHT AWAY. ASIDE FROM THE BOX ITSELF, I WANTED TO ILLUSTRATE THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD LIVE INSIDE OF IT. HOWEVER, I STRUGGLED TO GET THESE DRAWINGS TO A POINT THAT I LIKED, SO I SOON DECIDED TO MANIPULATE SOME IMAGES THAT I FOUND OF THE PEOPLE IN MY STORIES. AFTER HEARING SOME FEEDBACK, I WAS ENCOURAGED TO CREATE MORE OF A NARRATIVE BY ADDING ANOTHER LAYER OF VISUALS. TO GIVE MORE CONTEXT TO THE STORIES, MY GOAL WAS TO RECREATE THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THESE COINCIDENCES TOOK PLACE. ORIGINALLY I PLANNED TO INCORPORATE THOSE IN THE SCULPTURE, BUT WHEN THINKING ABOUT HOW I WANTED IT TO BE PERCEIVED BY MY AUDIENCE, I DECIDED TO MAKE THAT PORTION OF THE PROJECT DIGITAL.
Y
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THE
C OINCI
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IDENCES
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OLIVIA (COINCIDENCES)
D E C A M P S
NY & LA
C1 JULY 2018
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O L I V I A
41
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W ES (COINCIDENCES)
B O D K I N
BOSTON
C2 JUNE 2018
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48
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W E S
49
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W ILL (COINCIDENCES)
W E I N I G
NYC, NY
C3 JUNE 2017
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W I L L
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58
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CARMEN N I C H O L S
LDN & BOS
C4 JAN 2017
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C A R M E N
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IT’S CRAZY TO THINK THAT THIS PROJECT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN EXECUTED SO DIFFERENTLY IF WE HAD STAYED IN BOSTON TO FINISH OUR SENIOR YEAR. HOWEVER, I’M VERY GRATEFUL THAT I HAVE CREATED SOMETHING THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME DURING THIS TIME IN ISOLATION. I HOPE THAT WHEN OTHERS SEE THIS WORK, THEY WILL START TO DIRECT SOME OF THEIR OWN ATTENTION TO THE MAGIC OF CHANCE AND HOW IT BRINGS US TOGETHER, EVEN WHEN WE ARE PHYSICALLY APART.
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LET LIFE BE UNPREDICTABLE.
PROCESS BOOK DESIGNED BY SARAH CUMMINGS AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS FOR HER GRAPHIC DESIGN SENIOR THESIS 2020.
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