On July 18th, 2013, the City of Detroit made U.S. history with the largest municipal bankruptcy in the country to date. “There is no roadmap for Detroit’s recovery,” declared the New York Times. Less than a decade later, the city is recognized amongst the leading ones for its urban resilience initiatives: numerous publications have detailed […]
Author: Yky
Do cities learn from getting burned?
At D0, the half burnt man-tree destiny seems to be inexorably linked to his destroyed environment. The overall perspective raises the question of any possible resilient future. The dusky tonalities of D+ add to the apocalyptic feeling of the scene, but in the same time, the man-tree can be seen as a phoenix rising back […]
Do cities learn from getting burned?
A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire impacting a bush area. But as shown by the Australian tragedy, this definition could well be applied to urban centers. In October 2019, the flames licked the doors of the Getty museum, LA, 20 minutes driving from downtown. Urban forests canopies when not correctly maintained could increase fire risks […]
Feeling Sorry for SF.
The below work is inspired from the “Drawn Stones” of artist Goldsworthy, located at the entrance of the de Young museum. The original cracks aiming to recall the tectonic topography of the area gain here a dramatic perspective. Goldsworthy “Drawn Stones” are echoing Clinton Park boulders, with a dead or alive homeless of the foreground […]
Feeling Sorry for SF.
To the question “Is San Francisco ready for the next quake?” you will find city officials saying yes (1) and experts saying no (2). On both sides, arguments are justified on the grounds of improved or perfectible retrofit programs, risk management training and/or infrastructures vulnerability. To the question “Is San Francisco resilient”, you will find […]
How green is urban resilience?
Climate change and regular heatwaves enhance the need for urban planning strategies to rebalance grey infrastructures with green “systems”. Urban citizens applaud the idea. Canopies and urban forests are on the agenda. The collective recognition of our environment fragility seems to find its answer in a politically correct greening attitude. There is no need to […]
How green is urban resilience?
In the below work, the symbolic meaning of the place takes shape through a young girl drawing a sculpture of Korean artist Lim Dong-Mak. Point Growth, speaks of a nature balanced between strength and fragility, a metaphoric narrative introducing the role of greening in cities. The young girl drawing leads to question how art may […]
Venice: the failure of resilience
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 […]
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 […]
