the MULTICULTURAL city

...blurb...

2008-10-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

Through this work I wanted to highlight the problem of cultural segregation in Auckland.

Each region is elevated according to the size of its population. Each colour of Fibre Optic string represents a different predominant cultural group, arranged according to the percentage of population in each region, based on official statistics.

As a multi cultural person who has experienced this segregation, I think it is vital for the development of Auckland as an influential, united city that strong links between the diffrent groups of people are developed. Starting from the way we plan our city to the way we interact with people of other cultures. I believe a move into this way of thinking needs to be done now, before Auckland becomes a divided heterogeneous metropolis.

...exhibition...

2008-10-18T15:11:00.001-07:00

Work in progress...

2008-09-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

I have finished the model...it was a week worth of hard work and a lot of cuts on my hands, but the end result looks good! Had a few problems with the glue staining the perspex, which is impossible to avoid with clear perspex, so have had to sand paper the base sheet which actually made the model stand out more as it is translucent.
The location of the sculpture in the exhibition space has been changed to the middle of the lright wall as you enter, which is a much more exposed space, therefore will hopefully atract more attention from the visitors.

Elevation of Lobby with Installation

2008-09-12T15:53:00.001-07:00

2008-09-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

Plan of Lobby with proposed Installation

2008-09-12T15:26:00.001-07:00

2008-09-12T14:47:00.001-07:00

First pieces of the puzzle

2008-09-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

The cut out pieces of perspex have arrived. And it was a mission to figure out which piece goes where! here on the photo is the arranged layout of the pieces and a trial stack of the highest 'mountain'. The highest part reaches only 31cm which shouldn't obstruct flow in the lobby of the gallery where I am plannin to hang the sculpture.
Woke up this morning at 7 am and couldn't stop thinking about the execution of the piece. I think I have it under control now. lol
Hopefully it can be hung from the ceiling, and I can use something expressive and agressive like a metal chain to hang it with.
There will be an A4 sheet framed in perspex haning on the side with the same type of chain. This will be the key and explanation of the sculpture and sponsor advertising material.
The fibre optic cables I will bundle with fishing line so it as invisible as possible. The bundles will be about 0.5cm diameter. This will allow them to be a bit more flexible on the bends and I can put a little bit of glue where the fishing line ties are, to secure the fibre optics to the perspex without damaging it.
The hardest part now will be sorting out the fibre optics so that its quantity corresponds to the correct statistical percentages.
I have invited a lot of people to the exhibition opening. Fingers crossed my sculpture wouldn't fall apart on the day.....lol

Execution...

2008-09-03T19:28:00.000-07:00

I have made a lot of progress with putting the sculpture together. I have approached a lot of companies for sponsorship. And found a great guy who will give me fibre optics and will let me borrow the light sources for free!!! He gave me a rope of fibre optics for now to play with.
Finding sponsorship for perspex was much harder. In the end I got a 'student discount' from a company but it is still very expensive.
I have decided to pay the company to laser cut the shapes I need as the sculpture will be viewed in close up so needs to be of a highest quality. If I hand cut it in the University workshop, I do not think that I could get the quality of edges that I want. And the University Laser cutter just can't do objects that size.
The sculpture is going to be 1.2 by 1.5 m wide, hoping to hang it up on the wall of the gallery if it is not too heavy.
Looking forward to all the parts coming together...fingers crossed it all fits and looks good.

sketch of concept............

2008-08-21T04:40:00.000-07:00

The Result...

2008-08-21T04:05:00.000-07:00

The study of the motorway light conditions, shown in these photos has become irrelevant as a topic base for a proposal for VIRACOP exhibition but it has given me a great (i hope) conceptual idea for an artifact/sculpture for the exhibition.
Parallel to this study I have long been interested in the study of complex multi-cultural cities, specifically the way different cultures inter connect and/or segregate in different geographical areas of the city. And especially the responsibility that architecture has in this area. My understanding is that architectural buildings can either enforce the inter connection of different peoples in a building that is appealing to all the different cultures, sometimes creating an undesirable mess of one global culture. Or create buildings that highlight a single culture, thus preserving it, but inevitably segregating its people from others in the city.
So I am interested in creating a map of Auckland Region that in a very honest and understandable manner shows all the different cultures in this area, but at the same time highlights their extreme segregation in diffrent regions/suburbs.
The idea is to use Perspex to create a large scale map of Auckland Region (maybe 1.5 by 2m wide) . Each regions population is determined and fake cartography map is created by elevating a number of perspex layers as if it was a contour map. The number of layers in each of these 'imagined hills' will depend on the amount of people in each area.
Then Fibre Optic strings are threaded through those mountains....the colour and amount of them dependant on the number of people of certain culture in the region.
I read a quote that said that people in a metropolis become so overwelmed with the activity, people, lights, noises etc which are constantly present in a large Megapolis, that they physically can't take it all in. Thus they become blaze to their surroundings....missing often the excitement and beauty of all this extravagance....And this is something that I would want the audience of this sculpture to become aware of....through the amount and intensity of the light that fills the sculpture, placed in a small dark hallway of Gus Fisher Gallery.

2008-08-20T03:43:00.000-07:00

Progress drawings of motorway light conditions

2008-08-20T03:24:00.000-07:00

2008-08-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

Continuing the research on the motorway and its light conditions...the photos above were translated to drawings and then applied onto the model of the motorway...this was done in order to get a better understanding of the site and its conditions

Study of Light on the Motorways

2008-07-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

These images are a begining of a study into the light qualities and effects on the motorway starting from Parnell to Victoria Park in Auckland CBD. Hopefully this will inspire an architectural solution for my Design Paper and maybe lead to an interesting study for ViRaCoP