Beyond the Survey: Understanding and Defying the Colonial History of Visuality in Architecture Practices
7. – 26. 8. 23

This course will examine the complex relationship between architecture and visual culture, reflecting on how the technologies we use to see and experience the built environment define how we construct it. Starting from a critical reading of the history of asymmetrical power structures articulated through technologies of vision, we will focus on surveying as a generative act of design, rather than a passive representation of reality, connecting existing site conditions with deliberate (often hidden) design choices to reinforce or defy established hierarchies.

Borrowing from visual theory and contemporary contributions to post- and de-colonial theory and practice, we will problematise the hierarchical structures often built between observing subjects and observed bodies. Working between 3D scanned and physical models, we will embed traces of our own bodies in the city's public space as a series of mixed-media temporary installations: a collaborative mapping experiment at the intersection of new media, design, and art in urban space. With technical tutorials and one-on-one consultations, students will acquire first-hand experience with 3D scanning technologies and will enhance their ability to incorporate this technique in their creative workflow. Then, working in smaller groups, students will develop temporary installations connecting physical and digital content.