The below series of photographs have been taken in Venice in April 2019. The first two underscore a self-delusion leading nowhere. Moving from D0 to D+, deluding pedestrian walkways overshadow the urban environment. In the following series, the pictorial transition witnesses the dramatic disappearance of Venice. Symbolizing the legacy of Venetian history, gondolas vanish, while […]
Author: Yky
Venice: the failure of resilience
When Giovanni Antonio Canal (1697-1768), better known as Canaletto, painted the Canareggio canal of Venice, could he guess that he would contribute, three centuries later, to challenge the city’s sustainability? As an artist dedicated to a rigorous representation of his native city, both in terms of geometry and perspective, the way he mastered the use […]
Smart city
Is there any chance to escape urban data? The answer is simply no. Why? Because we are the data. We consume data, we create data, we exchange data. Data are everywhere: Internet of Things, social networks, cell phones, sensors… They are all part of our virtual landscape. Is there any chance that the trend could […]
Concerning the “spiritual” in urban resilience…
… And in architecture, in particular… You may like it or not, you cannot escape religious monuments and the way they impose their presence in the urban frame. They contribute to the “imageability” of the city, as defined by Kevin Lynch (1) and play a predominant role in its identity. Their symbolic significance goes far […]
C’est quoi potable? (What is it drinkable?)
This work addresses the issue of the relation between urban resilience and sustainability. Both concepts share the same objective for urban citizens. But when sustainability aims for efficiency, resilience aims for redundancy and never excludes the possibility of challenging fundamentals. At D0, Manhattan water towers are reflected on a brown house wall showing a lion […]
DE-COMPOSER
The below work is inspired by a series of pictures taken on the site “Les grands voisins”, Paris. The word “dé-composer” (to de-compose) painted on the wall relates indirectly to the questionable opposition between resilience and vulnerability. A silhouette recalls Levinas’ concept of alterity. A blue canvas curiously hanging, brings us back to the Sudanese […]
Katrina
This photographic montage underlines the critical contribution of local decision makers to enhance urban resilience in favor of communities lacking the cultural capital, as defined by Bourdieu, which could possibly help to cope with hazards such as flooding. At D0, the floods do not prevent a community to keep on with their daily occupations while […]
Katrina
Katrina was one of the most destructive natural disasters (*) to strike the US. The reasons of the malfunctions which turned the city into chaos are well known. But what have we learned from the flooding? Some pending questions remain: Did New Orleans resilience improve? Did other cities threaten by flooding learn from this tragic […]
Shakes
Can urban resilience be implemented in case of widespread destructions? At D0, two iconic symbols, a Le Corbusier building and the Golden Gate bridge are willing to withstand the unavoidable earthquake aftershocks. At D+, the landscape disappears; only the broken glass path remains, referring to our fears and fragility. More to read here
Thank you Eugène
At D0, three plans in opposition: in the background, a geometrical structure inspired by the work of F. Morellet, symbolizing the urban grid; on the forefront, a work in progress or an old facade; in-between, a Haussmannian building, renowned for its resilient features, imposing its steady foundation. At D+, everything fades out around the building […]
