Preface

This one’s short.

Fast forward a couple of weeks in Barcelona and we’re nearly halfway. It seems I’ve run behind on my goal of weekly posting, which (unsurprisingly) has enabled me to think more about this writing as it relates to my abroad experience here. An essential reflection is always the case- I think I’m due for a check-in.

Everywhere, All at Once

Travelling has been a weekly endeavor. Recently, three trips: a weekend trip to Valencia, a day trip to Montserrat, and a weekend trip to Costa Brava with my studio-mates have taken most of my spare time. Exquisite views and experiences were abound.

Weekend in Valencia

Through all of this traveling, I think we are confronted with a question. Why do we travel, and what can we obtain from the act of travelling that can be applied to the world of design and specifically architecture?

This conversation spawns an entirely new set of questions: what are you observing? How did it come about? Who uses this area? What do people normally do in this space? If architecture performs, does anyone notice it? So on and so forth. One common thing I’ve found among design majors is a critical act of analysis- because design school has drilled into us a quasi-obsessive eye for detail, we tend to criticize many things and question everything. With design as objective as it is, who’s to say what’s good and what’s bad? Can we justify our design decisions with ego or a self-centered belief that whatever we’re doing is truly the “right” thing to do?

Fight the Bubble

They are questions that can only be answered by the individual. Personally, being outside away from cities and civilization (ironically) gives me two things: rest and inspiration. Nature brings me peace and clarity through a lense of perspective. Sights and sounds beyond the busyness of the city are equally if not more important than urbanism itself. How is urbanism positioned in regards to the natural lands around us? How is urbanism related to the natural resource economics that drive how we use what is incredibly limited? For example, the inbetween-ness of cities, the fringe, the urban ecological movement, and the role of forestry can all be brought in a giant, messy circle back to our cities. A broad knowledge of topics that are seemingly unrelated suddenly move to the front of the line.

In my opinion, it is at times of vulnerability where we are also the most willing to take life by the horns- to remove barriers of resistance or anxiety to the unlikely drawing, sketch, or narrative that moves on to become a bigger, better, and radical idea.

As students, we are constantly challenged to think differently and outside of the box. Unfortunately, we also cannot operate in the bubble of the concrete brutalist building. The world is much too big to operate in a bubble with designers and only designers. That being said, it is equally difficult to work alone in the comfort of your own home. Collaboration is key, and a fine balance is necessary. Travelling then becomes integral to the skills of observation and reflection while also (hopefully) finding new things along the way.

Montserrat - Hiking to Sant Jeroni, Monastery

Perhaps it doesn’t only apply to architecture and design specifically, but in fields that are entirely subjective, travelling may begin to unblur many notions of what we see only in drawing. It is for a hope of clarity. Maybe for confirming thoughts and fears or the discovery of something new- travelling anywhere and everywhere can bring about new inspirations that are applicable not only to one’s daily life, but to who one might be as an individual.

I really do think a constant exposure to new things, whether we like it or not, is entirely beneficial to the design process. It is possible to bring something new to the table every day. Can an unlikely inspiration be one that is entirely non-architectural? It cannot be denied that empathy is one of the most underrated skills in the world-and likely one of the most difficult. How is it possible to truly know how someone is feeling? Through meeting new people and experiencing new cultures, especially when foreign, perhaps we can begin to make sense of the people around us and hopefully also the crazy world that we live in.

Tamariu - Costa Brava

Rewind

Picasso once said: “Todo lo que imagines es real.” In English, this translates to “Everything you imagine is real.” A take on the imagination by a painter whose works are taught in classes around the world, it is a phrase I think we all need to hear more often. What if we began to think that anything was possible? In a world that only gets crazier by the day, why can’t we believe that the unreal can be real? What’s stopping us? What we seek on a day to day basis is always to personal interpretation- to allow a glimpse of multiple time stamps, viewpoints, speeds, and arguments. Should our ideas only be able to exist in drawing? The creation of thesis, the stance of criticality and non-criticality, is the essential birth of a narrative- an opportunity that seeks to withdraw, uphold, and challenge.

A Graphic Curiosity

Lastly, a new project that I’ve become increasingly interested in: the portrayal of Barcelona in magazines and media. Barcelona is one of the most visited cities in the world for tourism. As a port city on the Mediterranean, it enjoys certain comforts as it pertains to access to other cities, microclimate, and leisurely activities year round.

After living here for over a month, the face of Barcelona that I thought I knew is beginning to shift - albeit subtlely - toward a face that is irrecognizable from travel magazines. The issues that the city faces, although never talked about or publicized, are real. Tourism has changed the face of the city that grew from the walls to the city that is nothing more than a large amusement park. The question then becomes this: using graphic representation and specifically magazine layout as a medium of investigation, can Barcelona be reinterpreted as a city with personality beyond beaches and Gaudi?

Whether or not this new project goes anywhere, it is a perfect opportunity to use Barcelona, photography, and graphic design as medium to explore further.

Until next time.

-Z

Quick side note: This week, Barcelona has been in a state of instability due to Catalan protests calling for the amnesty and release of Catalan politicians who, in 2017, held a referendum concerning possible Catalonian independence. The city has hence been quite the sight the past couple of days with disruptions to public transportation, marches, and demonstrations throughout the city. Updates to come.