4k, 31:33
2022
That architecture directs how we move is somewhat obvious—we cannot pass through a wall where there is no door. The wall exists precisely to block our passage. Less obvious is how certain architectures also pattern the way we think. Buildings are designed to evoke specific patterns in viewers’ and users’ minds. They embody signs we have learned to interpret, symbols we were taught to read, and myths we were told to believe. This is why the buildings of many institutions appear similar: the cognitive infrastructure they embody is evoked by the signs presented on their surfaces. This video is a collection of buildings ranging from national museums to activist tents–an opportunity to meditate on the cognitive patterns evoked by facades. Viewing it allows us to examine both the exterior structures of buildings and the interior patterns inscribed on our minds. Close attention might reveal openings where there are none.
This project is a visual record of the research for my PhD thesis.