shake that....box!!

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exploring the box....

Another remarkable feature that we had to explore was the sequence. One can make a sequence in various ways, that are also depending on the object(s) itself. With Kevin, the two Stef(ph)'s and Jasper, we tried to use one object that could serve to create several sequences with different ideas and and ways. We agreed that Jasper would stand with a box on his head in several places in the faculty, which could lead to several reactions of the people that were faced with boxed-Jasper, but also would change the space. Some pictures of the experiment are posted above

bad, but not yet enough

taking and understanding pictures from a different point of view

Pictures are to be concerned as good or bad. But what determines a good picture? Is it at all possible to find a common answer to that, since we're living in such an individualistic world were everybody has and take their right of having an own opinion? After all, photography is an art, and cannot be discussed by taste alone. Even generally assumed bad photos could contain a certain beauty, information or technique that makes them attractive or at least interesting. With the task of taking some bad shots, I myself was questioning the notion of a bad picture. Apparently it's quite difficult to make such a bad picture, that nothing in it or behind it has any value or would be concerned as any value, except the fact that it is a snapshot in time. That is one of those characteristics, that makes photography so fascinating; because you are able to freeze a certain moment in the past, which isn't complete or ' true' necessarily.Even now, when I am looking at old photo's, I can catch myself on remembering only some part of the past with the help of the pictures itself, but completely forgot about aspects or emotions that are, so to say, 'behind' the picture but influenced it indeed. A kind of ' coloured' recollection. Although this is not always the case. By just shooting some random bad pictures, the true bad picture unfolded with the help of it's miserable predecessors. To shoot it as well, was much more complicated.And even now, when I am looking back at it, it doesn't seem SOO bad as I thought, and hoped for. Probably Stefano was right; a truly bad picture in all it's aspects could be even harder to make then (by accident) shooting a good one. Not that I know exactly what a truly good picture would be, but that's another question...............

planned deconstruction

The saddest thing till now was to deconstruct our shacks. But we still managed to made the most out of it, or is it because we didn't actually live in it, and therefore were not angry, sad or even desperate?

exploring the faculty for materials and basic needs

I never could imagine that building a shack was so much about discussing, explaining, suggesting and so forth. For us, fresh ones in the world of slum and its construction, we've spend almost an entire day on talking and planning. Later that day, I wondered wheter squatters would made up a kind of strategy, an invasion plan and so forth, or that they have already enough experience that nothing has to be said or planned ?Or perhaps that they even wouldn't find the time or place to think about such an approach different then the one they grew up with? For sure that for us, with a huge storage nearby, it was much easier to find materials for the construction of our future homes. Although we also experienced the typical cop attitude towards us that made it more diffuclt to snatch some materials out of the garbage bin. Strange actually, how people can become so defensive about trash when they are aware that a certain person or group shows interest in it.Eventually, we gathered a lot of materials. Some, like cardboard and wood, could be used as floors and walls. Others, like plastics and canvas, were more appropriate as roofs or insulation. We already thought about the applications of the materials, but only when finally the real building part of this workshop begun, it turned out that one material has much more applications then discussed in the beginning. As the day passed by, and our shacks became more complete and sometimes even furnished, I again got hit with hopes of questions and thoughts. Although through the workshop, I became more aware of the difficulties that squatters have to overcome. But it eventually led in the notion of other dificulties and therefore raised more questions. We, for example, build our shacks in about 6 hours, 100 or 200 meters away from our storage point that also facilitated in our basi needs. But in most cases, squatters don't have the possibility to encounter a kind dumpster full with precious materials that could be taken for free, and is also offering drinking water and toilets. Left alone a wonderfull place to build their homes close by, without interfering from any governmental force! Even some of the groups, with all those privileges, barely managed to built the shack on time. Probably, because none of us had experience in this field. But I couldn't resist the thought about the squatters and their tremendous perseverance, getting thwart by lots of aspects, and still persisting on that one important issue; building a house for them and their families. I think that nobody of us can claim that he or she knows how it feels to fight all the time for the right to exist and to be left alone in peace, and for me it's even very difficult trying to understand their situation and feelings, left alone that I can speak of experiencing it.

एक्स्प्लोरिंग साइट्स

http://trivialmatters.blogspot.com/2006/03/shadow-city-look-at-dharavi.html

http://www.indiatogether.org/opinions/ddsouza/dharavi.htm

http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10311293

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=241802

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1099372

http://mumbaimatters.bombayaddict.com/2007/11/dharavi-dilemma.html

http://www.adb.org/

मोटिवेशन

ड्राइंग ऑफ़ एक्ष्पेरिएन्किन्ग् स्पस

एक्ष्पेरिएन्किन्ग् स्पस

Darkness, confused, muscles, senses, pieces of human beings scattered. Words that got another meaning after Susanna Rechhia came along my path. At least in a different sense. ' Crawling in the dark, not prepared for the known, trying to search for boundaries which aren't set'। Excercises were done to explore the sensation, presence and content of the human body and it's surrounding space.Through the outside, one becomes aware of the inside in different ways. Senses, emotions and influences penetrate, block, connect and reflect. The outside is experienced differently by an awakened awareness, that was slumbering for quite some time but always was.Yet outside doesn't always mean outside for it could exist within the inside. 'Stretching pieces of mine that clinched and touched mostly recognizable warm and soft elements of oneother, resulted in different reactions and emotions'। The human body occupies a certain amount of space, but triggered by its forms and positions, the shape of space differs as an amorph organism। Through a mutual relationship, the surrounding space affects the human body aswell. ' In the end, the understanding and experience of the human body and it's complex relationship with the space, makes one truly aware of the meaning of being'.