1,438 research outputs found

    Planetary Hinterlands:Extraction, Abandonment and Care

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    This open access book considers the concept of the hinterland as a crucial tool for understanding the global and planetary present as a time defined by the lasting legacies of colonialism, increasing labor precarity under late capitalist regimes, and looming climate disasters. Traditionally seen to serve a (colonial) port or market town, the hinterland here becomes a lens to attend to the times and spaces shaped and experienced across the received categories of the urban, rural, wilderness or nature. In straddling these categories, the concept of the hinterland foregrounds the human and more-than-human lively processes and forms of care that go on even in sites defined by capitalist extraction and political abandonment. Bringing together scholars from the humanities and social sciences, the book rethinks hinterland materialities, affectivities, and ecologies across places and cultural imaginations, Global North and South, urban and rural, and land and water

    Urbanised forested landscape: Urbanisation, timber extraction and forest care on the Vișeu Valley, northern Romania

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    By looking at urbanisation processes from the vantage point of the forest, and the ways in which it both constitutes our living space while having been separated from the bounded space of the urban in modern history, the thesis asks: How can we (re)imagine urbanisation beyond the limits of the urban? How can a feminine line of thinking engage with the forest beyond the capitalist-colonial paradigm and its extractive project? and How can we “think with care” (Puig de la Bellacasa 2017) towards the forest as an inhabitant of our common world, instead of perpetuating the image of the forest as a space outside the delimited boundaries of the city? Through a case study research, introducing the Vișeu Valley in northern Romania as both a site engaged in the circulation of the global timber flow, a part of what Brenner and Schmid (2014) name “planetary urbanisation”, where the extractive logging operations beginning in the late XVIIIth century have constructed it as an extractive landscape, and a more than human landscape inhabited by a multitude of beings (animal, plant, and human) the thesis argues towards the importance of forest care and indigenous knowledge in landscape management understood as a trans-generational transmission of knowledge, that is interdependent with the persistence of the landscape as such. Having a trans-scalar approach, the thesis investigates the ways in which the extractive projects of the capitalist-colonial paradigm have and still are shaping forested landscapes across the globe in order to situate the case as part of a planetary forest landscape and the contemporary debates it is engaged in. By engaging with emerging paradigms within the fields of plant communication, forestry, legal scholarship and landscape urbanism that present trees and forests as intelligent beings, and look at urbanisation as a way of inhabiting the landscape in both indigenous and modern cultures, the thesis argues towards viewing forested landscapes as more than human living spaces. Thinking urbanisation through the case of the Vișeu Valley’s urbanised forested landscape, the thesis aligns with alternate ways of viewing urbanisation as co-habitation with more than human beings, particularly those emerging from interdisciplinary research in the Amazon river basin (Tavares 2017, Heckenberger 2012) and, in light of emerging discourses on the rights of nature, proposes an expanded concept of planetary citizenship, to include non-human personhood

    Grounds for a Third Place : The Starbucks Experience, Sirens, and Space

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    My goal in this dissertation is to help demystify or “filter” the “Starbucks Experience” for a post-pandemic world, taking stock of how a multi-national company has long outgrown its humble beginnings as a wholesale coffee bean supplier to become a digitally-integrated and hypermodern cafĂ©. I look at the role Starbucks plays within the larger cultural history of the coffee house and also consider how Starbucks has been idyllically described in corporate discourse as a comfortable and discursive “third place” for informal gathering, a term that also prescribes its own radical ethos as a globally recognized customer service platform. Attempting to square Starbucks’ iconography and rhetoric with a new critical methodology, in a series of interdisciplinary case studies, I examine the role Starbucks’ “third place” philosophy plays within larger conversations about urban space and commodity culture, analyze Starbucks advertising, architecture and art, and trace the mythical rise of the Starbucks Siren (and the reiterations and re-imaginings of the Starbucks Siren in art and media). While in corporate rhetoric Starbucks’ “third place” is depicted as an enthralling adventure, full of play, discovery, authenticity, or “romance,” I draw on critical theory to discuss how it operates today as a space of distraction, isolation, and loss

    An investigation into the environmental sustainability of the South African ornamental horticultural industry

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    The ornamental horticultural industry makes use of natural resources to grow plants and produce allied products to sell to consumers, landscapers, retail garden centres, hardware stores, supermarkets, and government, but at what cost to the environment? The aim of this work was to determine the current environmental awareness of growers and garden centre retailers within the ornamental horticultural industry in South Africa. Followed by an investigation into the current business practices that promote sustainable natural resource use and management as well as the obstacles and challenges that the industry faces with implementing legislation and recommendations of best practices. The study was conducted over an 18-month period and 41 growers and retail garden centres in eight of the provinces in South Africa (Appendix 10) participated in research. In each case, the study participant was asked to complete the questionnaire and where possible, a site visit was conducted and / or a semi-structured interview as well as participatory observations followed to give a comprehensive overview of the sustainability practices of the businesses. These results were then compared to international best practices and similar research conducted globally by the ornamental horticultural industry. A review of international best practices in the ornamental horticultural industry showed six environmental resources namely soil, water, fertilizers, pesticides, energy, and waste. This was seen to be common to most studies involved in the production, growth, maintenance and sales of plants and allied products. This information was used to compile a best management practice manual for South African ornamental horticulture with guidelines and practical examples for conserving and managing natural resource usage and reducing the environmental impacts of the industry. Much research has been done on the exploitation and degradation of resources due to urbanisation, industrial activities, and agricultural practices. The resources are essential to the ornamental horticultural industry but if exploited or misused, can have detrimental effects on the environmental productivity of the industry and ultimately the “Sustainable Development Goals” prescribed by the United Nations. The linking of the relevant sustainable development goals to the 9 key factors of the green economy strategized by the South African government will enable the ornamental horticultural industry to play a greater part in the green and circular economy by providing nature-based solutions to environmental problems that it is facing such as climate change and pollution.Environmental SciencesD. Phil. (Environmental Management

    Atmosphere(s) for Architects: Between Phenomenology and Cognition

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    Interfaces 5 was born to home the dialogue that the neuroscientist Michael A. Arbib and the philosopher Tonino Griffero started at the end of 2021 about atmospheric experiences, striving to bridge the gap between cognitive science’s perspective and the (neo)phenomenological one. This conversation progressed due to Pato Paez’s offer to participate in the webinar “Architectural Atmospheres: Phenomenology, Cognition, and Feeling,” a roundtable hosted by The Commission Project (TCP) within the Applied Neuroaesthetics initiative. The event ran online on May 20, 2022. Bob Condia moderated the panel discussion between Suchi Reddy, Michael A. Arbib, and Tonino Griffero. The RESONANCES project was responsible for developing the editing and publishing process. This volume collects nine essays: the main chapter is “A Dialogue on Affordances, Atmospheres, and Architecture” by Michael A. Arbib and Tonino Griffero; there are four commentaries to this text by Federico De Matteis, Robert Lamb Hart, Mark Alan Hewitt, and Suchi Reddy; Michael A. Arbib and Tonino Griffero have independently responded to the commentaries, emphasizing the opportunities and challenges of their respective approaches: cog/neuroscience and atmospherology applied to architecture; Elisabetta Canepa offers “An Essential Vocabulary of Atmospheric Architecture,” developing an atmospherological critique of the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art on the Kansas State University campus to evaluate the accuracy, coherence, and adaptability of her lexicon. Bob Condia and Mikaela Wynne provide an introduction entitled “On Becoming an Atmospherologist: A Praxis of Atmospheres.”https://newprairiepress.org/ebooks/1051/thumbnail.jp

    Nature and spirit: Arne Korsmo and Frank Lloyd Wright's organicism

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    O arquitecto norueguĂȘs Arne Korsmo (1900-1968) Ă© frequentemente associado aos princĂ­pios orgĂąnicos defendidos pelo arquitecto americano Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) em consonĂąncia com a sua obra no perĂ­odo pĂłs-Segunda Guerra Mundial. O exemplo mais emblemĂĄtico Ă© Villa Planetveien 12 (1955) projetada por Korsmo e seus colaboradores, em Oslo. Antes da Segunda Guerra Mundial, Korsmo era conhecido como "Le Corbusier da Noruega". No entanto, ao compararmos o percurso de Wright, iniciado na infĂąncia, durante a construção de seus princĂ­pios orgĂąnicos; com o percurso intelectual e arquitectĂłnico percorrido por Korsmo, podemos identificar paralelos entre esses dois arquitetos. Korsmo teria se tornado orgĂąnico em termos "Wrightianos" mesmo sem a influĂȘncia direta de Wright? Korsmo jĂĄ era orgĂąnico antes da Segunda Guerra Mundial? Nossa tese Ă© que o "Korsmo orgĂąnico" existia antes da Villa Planetveien 12. Argumentamos que o caminho de Frank Lloyd Wright rumo ao seus princĂ­pios orgĂąnicos abre uma porta para entendermos tanto o prĂłprio organicismo de Korsmo quanto sua atração pelo Funcionalismo. Esta tese apresenta trĂȘs pressupostos que interligam eventos cruciais na vida de Korsmo e Wright; fundamentada nas ideias transcendentais de uma das maiores referĂȘncias de Frank Lloyd Wright, o filĂłsofo, ensaĂ­sta e poeta norte-americano Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882).The Norwegian architect Arne Korsmo (1900-1968) is often associated with the organic principles defended by the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) in keeping with his work in the post-World War II (WWII) period. The most emblematic example comes with Villa Planetveien 12 (1955) designed by Korsmo and his collaborators, in Oslo. Prior to WWII, Korsmo had been known as "Norway's Le Corbusier." Nevertheless, by comparing Wright's journey towards the construction of his organic principles from an early age with Korsmo's own path, we are able to identify further parallels between these two architects. Would Korsmo have become organic in "Wrightian" terms even without the direct influence of Wright? Was Korsmo already organic prior to WWII? Our thesis is that the organic Korsmo existed prior to Villa Planetveien 12. We also argue that Frank Lloyd Wright's path towards his organic principles opens a door to understanding both Korsmo's own organicism and his attraction to Functionalism. This thesis presents three assumptions that interconnect crucial events in Korsmo and Wright's life; grounded by the transcendental ideas of one of Frank Lloyd Wright's major reference, the American philosopher, essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

    On shaky ground: land, paint and change

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    For this practice-led research project, painting is the field through which the concept of landscape is explored. The paintings are a response to the contemporary climate of the Anthropocene; the site for the research is the canal network of Greater London and Hertfordshire, which is revealed as aesthetically and materially figurative of this chapter in climate history. As a form of human expression, an artwork can be considered to be a site where knowledge is created and meanings are made (Sullivan, 2010, p. 71). The investigation recognises the very unique properties of artworks, and in particular the ability of painting to communicate pertinent messages regarding evolving climate issues. Materials and processes specific to the site are employed within the research; this disrupts the conventional approach to painting and situates the practice within ‘painting in the expanded field’. The approach to painting developed through this investigation is informed by a novel bringing together of theories. A Romantic sensibility is married with contemporary New Materialism (Bolt, 2004; Bennett, 2010), the concept of slow violence (Nixon, 2011) and the subject of ecological grief (Head, 2016). Together these theories interlace and support a central argument that the paintings produced throughout this project are contemporary ‘earth-life paintings’ (Carus, 2002, p. 119). This thesis articulates the development of the research; analyses and reflects on the body of work which has been produced; and explores the implications of the research. A critical analysis of the practice-led research in addition to the account of methodology illuminates how component elements function in response to the research questions. The reviews of both literature and contemporary practice provide context for the specificity of this research, whilst establishing how this research forms an original contribution to knowledge

    The Mediatization of the O.J. Simpson Case: From Reality Television to Filmic Adaptation

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    F. Scott Fitzgerald once said: "Show me a hero, and I'll write you a tragedy." In the 1990s, nobody fell deeper than O.J. Simpson. Once considered a national treasure, the athlete was accused of brutally slaying his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman on June 12, 1994. Within days, the media and public developed an unprecedented obsession with the story, turning a murder investigation and trial into a sensationalized reality show. The author examines the mediatization, deliberate manipulation, and the simplification of popular criminal trials for profit on television. She demonstrates that TV conflated legal proceedings into entertainment programming by commodifying events, people, and places

    Offene-Welt-Strukturen: Architektur, Stadt- und Naturlandschaft im Computerspiel

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    Welche Rolle spielen Algorithmen fĂŒr den Bildbau und die Darstellung von Welt und Wetter in Computerspielen? Wie beeinflusst die Gestaltung der RĂ€ume, Level und Topografien die Entscheidungen und das Verhalten der Spieler_innen? Ist der Brutalismus der erste genuine Architekturstil der Computerspiele? Welche Bedeutung haben LandschaftsgĂ€rten und Nationalparks im Strukturieren von Spielwelten? Wie wird Natur in Zeiten des Klimawandels dargestellt? Insbesondere in den letzten 20 Jahren adaptieren digitale Spielwelten akribischer denn je Merkmale der physisch-realen Welt. Durch aufwĂ€ndige Produktionsverfahren und komplexe Visualisierungsstrategien wird die Angleichung an unsere ĂŒbrige Alltagswelt stets in AbhĂ€ngigkeit von Spielmechanik und Weltlichkeit erzeugt. Wie sich spĂ€testens am Beispiel der Open-World-Spiele zeigt, fĂŒhrt die Übernahme bestimmter Weltbilder und Bildtraditionen zu ideologischen Implikationen, die weit ĂŒber die bisher im Fokus der Forschung stehenden, aus anderen Medienformaten transferierten ErzĂ€hlkonventionen hinausgehen. Mit seiner Theorie der Architektur als medialem Scharnier legt der Autor offen, dass digitale Spielwelten medienspezifische Eigenschaften aufweisen, die bisher nicht zu greifen waren und der Erforschung harrten. Durch VerschrĂ€nken von Konzepten aus u.a. Medienwissenschaft, Game Studies, Philosophie, Architekturtheorie, Humangeografie, Landschaftstheorie und Kunstgeschichte erarbeitet Bonner ein transdisziplinĂ€res Theoriemodell und ermöglicht anhand der daraus entwickelten analytischen Methoden erstmals, die komplexe Struktur heutiger Computerspiele - vom Indie Game bis zur AAA Open World - zu verstehen und zu benennen. Mit "Offene-Welt-Strukturen" wird die Architektonik digitaler Spielwelten umfassend zugĂ€nglich
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