LorensoProposalSteveSuggests

What do you want to make?

My project, Contextures will address multiple forms of accessibility in Rotterdam.

The outcomes will include a game and a thesis. Both aspects of the project (the game and thesis) will address how obstacles are encountered in the city of Rotterdam.Contextures arises from my frustrations with the hollow renders and and representations through which Rotterdam is presented. Travelling around the city of Rotterdam with my brother, who is in a wheelchair, has made me aware of the architectural, cultural and bureaucratic limits that define our movements.[Maybe mention your brother here; his experience is crucial to you arriving at your current perspective]

The project is divided into six elements, which will be incorporated into the game's format: Socially, Accessibly, Bureaucratically, Architecturally, Virtually and Culturally. In the game, the player is presented with a series of obstacles which they have to overcome. Each of the six sides of the dice direct the player to a particular field (Socially, Accessibly, Bureaucratically, Architecturally, Virtually and Culturally) which they must navigate. They are presented with "real world" problems (which have been expressed by participants in the workshops I will organise). In the series of workshops and public moments, I will develop an infrastructure for countermapping and anti-campaigning.,[Not sure what anti-campagning means in this context]

The thesis will take the form of a series of annotated drawings.

[In the pre-edited version, there was some confusion between the outcome (a game) and the methods by which you will get to the outcome. Please consider the game and how people will experience it. I gather the player is presented with as series of obstacles which they have to overcome (see above). I think you have done a lot of working and thinking since you made this version (your page on the Ghent gig offers interesting ways forward; and your thesis first chapter provides a clear proof of concept for dealing with the project in a text). Let's discuss it on Thursday. Short version: emphasise the outcome first; describe the methods by which you achieve that outcome second.]

Why do you want to make it?

I have mixed feelings about Rotterdam, the city I was born and raised in. A city that has been suffering the second city syndrome for a while, and is on the list of poorest, least healthy cities. Having some sort of bad reputation based on multiple elements. Then resulting into trying to develop a better city, getting on the list of cool cities. Developing gentrification and seeming to be more (inter)nationally appealing cities. This project is my experiment to develop an infrastructure based on constructive city criticism but also reflection. I am searching for a right way to visualize the tensions.  The human touch as reminder of the (in)humane complications.  I'm confused by the idea of vision / images of the city through virtual representation. Mostly, because I feel that is an image that lacks multiple layers and complex contexts.

How do you plan to make it?

I will organise a series of workshops comparable to the colloquium. This would include natives of Rotterdam and people who have moved here.

.

"Search for examples of city planning / marketing / maintenance of the city/village/township where you are from*" 
collect img / promises / memories 					                     
then....... 
ask yourself / each other "how does -location- relate to you as the inhabitant*?"
 
ask yourself / each other "how do you relate to -location-?"

I see that there would be a second colloquium coming up for the sake of concept development.

I want to explore various ways of collecting information, context and also ways to make things tangible.

[Collective Location Relation Annotation Session]

A continued version of before-mentioned collection and reflection. But then adding own element of the XYZ+T?

1. gather context and get either frustrated or inspired or in the best scenario both,
2. print out the imagery or text and annotate how this doesn't apply to the person getting into it.
3. develop this into a pamphlet / poster
4. share the stories behind the output

[reflective documentation, point out the bugs] I have a couple of things I want to test. To make the 'methodology development' more tangible I will approach it as if were some sort of software or game with version control and debugging for the next session. (i.e. V.0.0.1 - User:Lor.ensō#/XPUB2/PROTOTYPING/COLLOQUIUM/)

[drawing, editing, annotations, public]

Using drawings and annotations as vessels for human touch to add incalculated dimensions and to develop a series of critical pamphlets as a visual essay per person.

[catalog]

All the stories, images, analysis will be stored in an archive with multiple spaces. Etherpad seems to work fine as input sheets.

Imagery

[game]

Using the stories of people and they situations and creating character sets of it with human metadata.

[thesis]

In my thesis proposal I play with the 6 sides of the cube

Socially - Personal, Affordable, Family, Housing

Accessibly - Disability, Information provision, infrastructures

Bureaucratically - Protocols of local municipal / governments

Architecturally - Buildings, ways, pavements, roads, streets

Virtually - Imagery, impression, media, softwares, simulation, games

Culturally - budgetcuts, false iconism, counterculture, grassroots, community, festivals/gigs/events

This cube will then transform into a dice and the contexts, problems, barriers will then turn into decks of cards.It will all revolve around Rotterdam, example of output would be map tiles as playing field

What is your timetable?

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\PHASE ONE //

September / October

• Read up on previously saved sources. Start sketching and writing thoughts down, collecting both sides.
• Research, attend lectures, visit exhibitions
• Try to zoom out a bit and make a colloquium based on 'location satisfactory' surveys municipalities often give
• Have a lot of discussions to get things clear and also give yourself time to digest.
• Colloquium: start developing a method for an infrastructure for countermapping / anti-campaigning.
• Start making a visual catalog

November:

• Public moment do a walk-in type deal and develop some sort of way to ask for contributions.
• Reflect on the colloquium & public moment, gather first ideas and ways to develop a method.
• 23 november: deliver project proposal ~ digest, organise, prepare presentation
• 27 november: pre-assessment
• Continue the catalog

December

• 1-7 December: Attend the Worksession: a Cane, Sticky notes, Another body, look for connections, insights, network
• 13 December Deadline First Chapter Thesis
• 17 December: Assessment
• Note crucial feedback -> Develop a new version for collective annotation
• Gather interests multiple groups and organize meetups
• Continue the catalog

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\PHASE TWO//

January

[ possibly change / restate things if assessments go other ways ]

• Start meetups - at least one with peers and one with outsiders
• Experiment with different sessions, gather contexts through new colloquiums
• Notes and developments

February / March

• Continue meetups: prototype the format -> dice + context decks + map
• Brainstorm / feedback with people
• Think about the outcomes: Tabletop Simulator / Physical Game
• Start sketching the potential outcomes: Dice, Cards, Map?: designs of thesis and outcome must align
• Notes and developments
• 14 March Deadline Second Draft thesis (texts to 2nd readers)  
• 8 March Deadlines Second readers' comments

April

• Continue meetups: test design
• Finetune
• Notes and development
• 18 April DEADLINE THESIS (0:00 hrs)

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\PHASE THREE//

May

• Finalize the dice, cards and map.
• Final test

June

• Final feedback and finetuning and deliver
• documentation
• Assessment
• Graduate
• Build up

July

• Build up and present
  

Who can help you and how?

XPUB tutors/peers/alumni

.ZIP

Friends and Family

Open Call: anyone interested in / the people that want to participate.

The people in Gent during the worksession

People outside the bubble

Relation to previous practice

Bachelor works:

3D / Worldbuilding - The Monster of Albert Heijn / Happytalism / Concrete Desert

Video - How to enter the art academy with a Wheelchair

Design thinking: GENERATION Y?

XPUB

SI23

• PUBLIC TRANSPORT
• COUNTERMAPPING =BUGS OF MISCONDUCT
• Method(ol(atry)ogy) is a way of surviving experience
• /door/PORT

SI24

• ROTTERDAM 2040 / CybeRdam2077  - PolderPunk?
• --------Benchmarking-------
• poinxs (points of inaccess)
• Pedestrian / virtual walk

Relation to a larger context

Recurring topics that are linked to my thesis will be divided through multiple chapters and key issues, but will all be connected through contexts and how these elements have thresholds and tension drawing between them and eachother.

Virtually ~ Architecturally / Innovation and Virtual Tools as development or demolition of reality

~ Imagery, impression, media, softwares, simulation, games, buildings, ways, pavements, roads, streets ~

Bureaucratically ~ Culturally / zoning: friction between counter culture and bureaucracy, false iconism vs community

~ Protocols of local municipal / governments / Budge cuts, false iconism, counterculture, grassroots, community, festivals/gigs/events~

Socially ~ Accessibly / (un)Familiar barriers, social thresholds and unmeant ignorance

~ Personal, Affordable, Family, Housing, Disability, Information provision, infrastructures~

References

Constant workshops in Gent Constant -. https://constantvzw.org/site/Open-call-Worksession-a-Cane-Sticky-notes-Another-body.html.

Rotterdam, Is it happening?. https://www.rotterdamisithappening.nl/. Possible Bodies(Rocha, J., Snelting, F.) (2022) Volumetric Regimes: Material cultures of quantified presence, Signs of Clandestine Disorder: The continuous aftermath of 3D-computationalism. The Industrial Continuum of 3D https://volumetricregimes.xyz/index.php?title=The_Industrial_Continuum_of_3D

Griffin, M. and Kittler, F.A. (1996) 'The City is a Medium,' New Literary History, 27(4), pp. 717–729. https://doi.org/10.1353/nlh.1996.0051.

Mattern, S. (2017) 'A city is not a computer,' Places [Preprint], (2017). https://doi.org/10.22269/170207.

Boer, R. (2023) Smooth city: Against Urban Perfection, Towards Collective Alternatives.

Van Den Bosch Christensen, L. (2015) I, (for one), welcome our new (Google) overlords. https://research.hva.nl/en/publications/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-google-overlords.

Wan, C. (2024) - Into The Digital Void https://canvaswan.com/into-the-digital-void

Wan, C. (2024) - Into the Digital Cartographic Void https://canvaswan.com/into-the-digital-cartographic-void.

Siegel, J. (2024) Default Alpha: Mapping the Emergence of Synthetic Culture in New Towns

Overdijke, M. (2024) The City as Anthology: Movements at the Margins of Public Space

Steyerl. H (2013) How Not To Be Seen: A Fucking Didactic Educational .MOV File https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE3RlrVEyuo.

Hito Gibbons, A. (2022) Salvaging situationism: Race and space - salvage. https://salvage.zone/salvaging-situationism-race-and-space/.

Vers Beton (2024) Home - Vers beton. https://www.versbeton.nl/.

Recht op de stad - Recht op de stad (2024). http://www.rechtopdestad.nl/.

Kooyman. M (2024) Rotterdam niet langer armste stad, maar nog steeds leven duizenden inwoners in armoede. Algemeen Dagblad, October 17, 2024https://www.ad.nl/rotterdam/rotterdam-niet-langer-armste-stad-maar-nog-steeds-leven-duizenden-inwoners-in-armoede~a7f79119/

Liukku. A, (2024) 'Waarom Rotterdam opnieuw onderaan staat in lijst met gezonde steden: aantal punten valt op.' Algemeen Dagblad, November 11, 2024, https://www.ad.nl/rotterdam/waarom-rotterdam-opnieuw-onderaan-staat-in-lijst-met-gezonde-steden-aantal-punten-valt-op~adec7bd9/

Unitary urbanism at the end of the 1950s (Issue three of the journal of the Situationist International) December 1959 https://libcom.org/article/unitary-urbanism-end-1950s.

Mass Moving (2007) [documentary]. Directed by Françoise Levie. Belgium. Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds

offcuts

• The game

TL;DR - I am

- collecting contexts through the first follow-up sessions.

- developing character sets.

- dividing the six elements Socially, Accessibly, Bureaucratically, Architecturally and Culturally into six decks of context cards.

- developing a Game Guide, that gives context and requires a collective focus.

- designing a dice with the 6 faces / tiles of context.

- customizing Rotterdam map as playing field.

To show (human) complications, tensions and miscalculations as a reaction towards the renders, city marketing and planning (as I describe). Through collecting stories and anecdotes, I will search for ways of developing a platform for constructive reflection.

• the thesis

I would like to depart from the virtual representation and develop a platform based on the many hindrances that can be brought into conversations.

In this process I want to search for ways to visualize the tension. I.e. using drawing as an alternative to the hollow representation that 'shape'

Rotterdam. The human touch as reminder of the (in)humane complications to discuss perspectives and to create a catalog of findings, perspectives.

I would like to experiment with both face to face sessions with friends, family, but also with people online and offline.

Not only questions but also playing with 'anecdotal annotation'. I will continue developing my catalog.