Inspired by South African and French artists, William Kentridge and Anne Kolin, the below work speaks about our consumer-capitalistic society and disconnected behaviors, infringing basic human rights. It echoes what sociologist Bauman called the passage from “solid” to “liquid” modernity (10), suggesting an ever evolving society where sustainability and social constructions are undermined. The metaphoric […]
Author: Yky
Droughts: the ultimate challenge
More than 800 million people in the world lack basic drinking water. Government budgets may increase; still, the UN 2019 report highlights financial resources as a major constraint to achieve appropriate investments (1). Inevitably, this unacceptable figure questions the scope of institutional statements recognizing “the right to safe and clean drinking water as a human […]
How resilient is cultural heritage?
Far from mass tourism attractions, a narrow cobble-stoned Parisian alley tells us the story of carpenters who came from Holland and Germany during the sixteenth century to settle in the Saint-Antoine district. A hidden pathway possibly witnessing the “raison d’être” of a community: a stamp-varnishing master, a manufacture built in 1886 converted in artists’ studios, […]
A cobble-stoned Parisian alley
At D0, a Parisian “passage” witnessing the richness of its legacy faces climate change consequences. It seems to be under pressure from the gauze strips closing the perspective and offering no escape. At D+, a clearing appears, strips and sky darken leaving the field to the facades, questioning a possible resilience for the place. More […]
Chelsea, NYC, 24th street.
If the Enlightment is recognized for an outstanding intellectual and philosophical development, its emergence coincided with theories “from another time”. In her review (1) on “contagions, public health and social links in the United Kingdom during the 18th century”, French sociologist Anne Marcovich recalls the principle of the so called “intermediary space”, defended by JC […]
Metro Bastille
The 5 diptychs of Metro Bastille show the artificial underground features of subway producing mental gaps in our relations with others. D0 shows 5 views of the subway station “Bastille” in Paris photographed during the Covid pandemic. To the empty corridors, distorted shapes and silhouettes of subway passengers photographed before the pandemic have been added. […]
Chelsea, NYC, 24th street.
This diptych questions the issues of care and vulnerability in the urban public space. It refers to our collective ability to address such issues seen in the context of our urban space’s perception and our capacity to interact. D0 represents 14 persons obviously insensitive to the needs of a sleeping young man, homeless. In the […]
Connecting art, urban grid and vulnerability
Little attention is given to the way urban morphology echoes resilience and how urban fabric can be linked to social construction. The connection between urban and social forms is often descriptive, elaborating on the homogeneity between the space and its occupation by various social/ethnic groups. But as underlined by A. Levy (1), the sense of […]
Connecting art, urban grid and vulnerability
At D0, two windows: one is reflecting the outside, operating beyond the frame; the other leaves to imagine the inside mapping of the world. Mullions and patches frame an ambivalent scene inspired by Mondrian, with inhabitants’ bags having been hanged by their owners for an unknown reason. At D+, the two windows darken leaving the […]
Is NYC retreat inevitable?
At D0, two water tanks on a brownstone building roof reflect in an urban river. The sky threatens Manhattan. Imaginary boats are ready to accost the wooden piles. At D+, the sky darkens leaving the field to the two water tanks and their reflections. Manhattan buildings disappear. The city’s life adapts to its new environment. […]
