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Complex Time, Amnesia, and The Reinvention of Destiny
Complex Time, Amnesia, and The Reinvention of Destiny
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Project Amnesiarchipelago In this project, Atetier Chronotope aboutinvokinq set ol amnesia a Series on permanent and ftoating archipetagos NewYorkCity in H a r b o u r h ed e f i n i t i oo f T n amnesia here is one of 'intentionat renunciation ratherthan invotuntary forgetting, statetaw is Att t o b e s h e db y b r i n g i n gh e t internationat water Iinecurrentty tocated mites l2 The offshore [andwards. UnitedNationsconventions g o v e r n i na r c h i p e t a g i c g statesand sea lanesis to be reinterpreted propose to a trutyfree port,thus e n c o u r a g i n g eg t o b a t th abandonment alt potiticat, of economic and raciaIdivisions. r : pp o s t e Compound Integration ol Through catcuLated the removaI fietdsof reference of - p r o g r a m m a t is p a t i a t , c, l o f m a t a n dt e c t o n i , c pt a nonintrusiveace cf forgetting emerges. Thrsspaceof inventive programmes. waysof s e e r n g ,e a r i n gs p e a k i n g h , a n db e i n g i.n v i t e sh e t u s e rt o b e c o m e t h e t o Notes l. ltyaPrigogine, From Being ro Eecomlng, Freeman WH , & C o l N e wY o r k N Y l ,1 9 8 0 . 2. My thanksto Karl Chu for during Jsrngthis term recently :re of my Cotumbia studio ' n a Lr e v r e w s . 3. HenriBergson, Matterand uemory,ZoneBookslNew r o r k .N Y l ,1 9 9 1C r e a t i v e ; 5volution, 0overPubtications, M n e o t a N e wY o r k N Y l ,1 9 9 8 . , l
r e c o n t e x t u a l i smd m o r yA t t h e s a m et i m e ,w e ee . e a n a t y s e s e t e c c a t a l o g u o f f i t m st h a t m a n i f e s t a t o a t c o m p t e xi m e ,a n dt h e s p a c e f a m n e s i a s a p l a c e f s h i f t i n gd e n t i t y f o r e x a m p [ e , i o The Michelangeto Antonioni's Passenger 11975lr, H i r o k a z u o r e e d a 'A f t e rL i f e[ 1 9 9 8 ]o r H a t K s , m H a r t t e y 'A m a t e u r 1 9 9 4 ]W e l o c a t e o m e n t s s [ . i b i n t h e s ef i t m sw h e r ed e s t i n ys a t t e r e d y po p r e v i o u s t yn r e c o g n i s e d s s i b i t i t i e sa d e m u o o , a v a i l a b lte a s y s t e ma n i n d i v i d u a tr g r o u p . T h e s e o m e n t si,n b o t ht h e c i t ya n dt h e c i n e m a , m readand modetted, result in and are ctosety w t t d i a g r a m s h i c ht h e ni n f l e c a d e s i g n r a j e c t o r y . A s e c o n d e t h o di,n f o r m e d y o u r s i t ea n d m b i, w . f i t m a n a t y s e ss s c e n a r i o r i t i n g T h i si s a s, t e c h n i q u e s e db y g o v e r n m e n t t h e m i t i t a r y , u wr c f i n a n c i aiIn s t i t u t i o n s , i e n c e - f i c t i o n i t e r sa n d to a muttinationaI corporations evaluate series t o f p o s s i b t e m e r g e nftu t u r e s h a t m i g h tb e g e n e r a t e b y a n e v e n t r a c u t t u r aa p p a r a t u s . d o l t ar n W e h a v ei m p o r t e dh e i n t e r d i s c i p l . i n t h iy k i n g w c h a r a c t e r i s toc s c e n a r i o r i t i n gt o d e s i g n if p r o g r a m m eF o re x a m p t ei , t h e . n , w A m n e s i a r c h i p e t ap ro j e c tw e b e g a n i t h t h e go p t t b a s i c r e m i s eh a t b r i n g i n gh e i n t e r n a t i o n a l watertine the way into NewYorkCity's al.t e w u u p p e rh a r b o u r o u t dp r o v o k e n i q u e c o n o m i c , p o l . i t i c a t ,fr a s t r u c t u r aa,n d p r o g r a m m a t i c in t outcomes. a B y a n a t y s i nr e a Iw o r l ds i t e s , n d ,i n p a r a t t e t , g t e f i t m st h a t i n s t a n t i a tc o m p l e xi m e ,w e m a p i e t h e i n t e r s e c t i ob e t w e e nn t e n s i vv i r t u a t i t i e s n n a o f p e r c e p t i oa n d p r o g r a m m e ,n d e x t e n s i v e M r e a t i t i e o f s p a c e n da r c h i t e c t u r e . u c ha s s a i n r e a t i t ys t h e c o m p t e xn t e r r e t a t i oo f s y s t e m s i 'vatve' i n t oo n ea n o t h e rc h a n g i n g e s t i n i e s , d that e v e r y o m e n t t h e u s eo f a t i m e - s e n s i t i v e m , 'connect thedots' t a n a t y s i a t t o w s h e d e s i g n etro s t i f r o m t h e m o m e n t s n t i m e a n ds p a c e h a t b e t o n g t v s t o c l e a r t y i s i b t e y s t e m st,o o t h e rs y s t e m sh a t for evident. Thisall.ows the are not initial.l.y of e v a l u a t i oo f t h e c o n s e q u e n c e st u r b u [ e n t n an s c h r o n o m o r p h o t o g y ,de x p o s e t h e r e t a t i o n s h i p g m a b e t w e e n e m o r y n df o r g e t t i n a s t h e yb e c o m e t a c t i v e n o u r d a i l yl i v e st h r o u g h h e s t r u c t u r e s i o f n a r r a t i v e ,r c h i t e c t u ra n d u r b a ns e q u e n c e s . a e a I T h ec i t y ,t h e n o v e a n dt h e c i n e m a [ [ f u n c t i o n I a t o a c c e l e r a tc u l t u r a e v o t u t i o n .n d h a v ee a c h e r n d e v e t o p es p e c i f i co t e si n t h e t r a n s f o r m a t i oo f d . a a i n d i v i d u a t sn d g r o u p sW e c o m b i n e n a n a t y s i s f b y o f t h e s es e e m i n g td i v e r s ei e t d s y c a t a t o g u i n g a e f f e c t s p o ni n d i v i d u a t sn d p o p u t a t i o n s . u to that operate according a fixed Systems ie e , d e s t i n y x i s ti n a s i m p t e m a c r o s c o p t c m p o r a l ou f r a m e w o r k n dh a v e p r e d i c t a b t e t c o m e . a a m t k 0 b s e r v i n gh e f e e d b a c b e t w e e n a c r o s c o p i c
a n d m i c r o s c o p itc m p o r o - m a t e r is y s t e m sa n d e aI , 'suspension ' i n f o r m e d yt h e o f d i s b e t i e t h a tw e f i n d b f i n t h e c i n e m aw e c o n s i d ed e s t i n yo b e t h e s y s t e m , r t o f b e L i e fh e t db y a p e r s o n r g r o u pa b o u t h e w o r t d s o a r o u n d h e m ,b a s e d n t h e a s s u m e da n do f t e n t o [ a r b i t r a r ytlr u t hv a t u e f t h a tw o r t d . h e no n eg o e st o o W 'suspension ' t h e c i n e m ao n ea c c e p t sh e , t of disbetief s forthe purposeof entering narrativetructure. a s A n a t o g o u s lw , e no n ee n t e r s b u i t d i n go n ea c c e p t s yh a , o t h e o r e s u m e do r m - t o - f u n c t i o n l a t i o n s h ifo r t h e f re p u r p o s e o f p a r t i c i p a t i ni g a p r o g r a m m a t is t r u c t u r e . s c n A m n e s i as t y p i c a t tu n d e r s t o oa s a m a t a d y r o u g h t i y d b . o n b y a t r a u m at o a n i n d i v i d u a to d yo r p s y c h eV a r y i n g . b r, f f o r m so f a m n e s i a a v eb e e ni d e n t i f i e d a n g i n gr o m h a t y p i c a p.o s t - t r a u m r e t r o g r a d a m n e s i aw h e r et h e l e , p a t i e n n o l o n g e rr e m e m b e r w h a t h a p p e n ea t t h e t s d t i m e o f t h e a c c i d e n t , a n t e r o g r a da m n e s i aw h e r e o e , t t h e p a t i e n c a n n o l o n g e r o r m n e w m e m o r i e st,o f u g u e f t e s t a t e sw h e r ea p a t i e n lto s e s h e i ri d e n t i t y n t i r e l y , , f a n d c a nt r a v e I o r d a y si n a s t a t eo f n e a ri n n o c e n c e b e f o r e e c o v e r i ntg e i r m e m o r yT h ef u g u ef o r m ,[ i k e r h . I t r a n s i e ng t o b a a m n e s i am a yb e a n e m e r g e ns y s t e m t , t w i t h i nt h e e l e c t r i c ac y c t e s f t h e b r a i n ; s o r t o f m e n t a I I o a i t t s u n a m i h a r m t e s sn t h e L o n ge r m b u t u t t e r L y , d i s o r i e n t i nig t h e s h o r t .A n i n t r i g u i n gd e ap r o p o s e d n i i n m o d e r n h e r m o d y n a m i cs t h e i d e at h a t a p h y s i c a I t is 'forget' w h e r ei t h a sb e e n . n f a c t ,i f w e I system an c s i a r e t o u n d e r s t a nc o m p t e x y s t e m sn t e r m so f d i r r e v e r s i b ta n d m i c r o s c o p i c a o p e r a t i vte m e ,a t [ e lty i 'built-rn s u c hs y s t e m s a v e h a t P r i g o g i n c a t t sa h w e t m e c h a n i s m f f o r g e t t i n gT.h r o u g hh i s f r a m e ,t h e o ' q u e s t i o n f a m n e s i a a n b e r e d i r e c t e d ,w a yf r o m o c a i t s a s s o c i a t i o ni t h t r a u m a , n t oa s t a t ew h e r e b y w i a t b s y s t e m / s u b j emti g h tb e e n a b t e do c h o o s e e t w e e n c v a r y i n g e g r e e s f f o r g e t t i n a n dr e m e m b e r i n g . d o g W e p r o p o s e r e t a t i o n s h itp a t e x i s t s e t w e e nh i s a h b t e x p a n d e f o r m o f a m n e s i aa n dt h e c a p a c i t o f d , y a r c h i t e c t u ra n d u r b a n i s mo o r g a n i s e t t e r n a t i v e e t a i g d e s t i n i e f o r t h e p e o p l en h a b i t i n t h e m .B y u s i n g s f h c o m p t e xi m e a s a c r i t e r i o no r e v a l u a t i ntg e s es i t e s , t w e p i n p o i ntth e m o m e n t s h e r ea s p a t i a s e q u e n c e w I or device works to acceterate subject a new level a to o f m e m o r y o r h y p o s t a s i s e s y s t e m n t of o r g e t t i n g , as i t h r o u g h t i n dr e p e t i t i o o r h a b i t . n b T h r o u g hh i s l e n s ,d e s t i n ya k e so n a n a t t e r n a t i v e t t r e t a t i o n s h itp i t s e a r t i e rm y t h i c h a r a c t e r . o s tp e o p l e o c M i o r g a n i s eh e i re v e r y d alyv e sa r o u n d o n v e n t i o n s t c p e r c e i v ea s t r u t h s .T h e r e s u l to f t h i s c o m p l i c i t iy a d s p a s s i v e c c e p t a n co f t h e m o s tm a c r o s c o p ac d s i m p t e a e i n r u t e so f t i m e ,w h e n ,i n f a c t ,r e a l i t y s r i f ew i t h m a n y i m i c r o s c o p i c a i ny e r c o n n e c t e dr u c t u r e s . s e [ e c t i v e tt t st A , o a m n e s i aw e p r o p o s em i g h th e t pi n d i v i d u a t s f o r g e t , t h e h a b i t s n d c o n v e n t i o n h a t h a v ee s t a b l i s h e d ts a p a r b i t r a r y o w e rr e t a t i o n i n t h e i rl i v e s T h ee b ba n df L o w s . 'involuntary memory' o f w h a tS a m u e B e c k e t t e r m s [ t h u sc o n s u m e s a b i ti n i t s p u r i f y i n gi r e .o h f