Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:03 Hello everyone. And welcome to failed architecture breeze blocks, where our editors share their thoughts on works in progress, urgent matters, and current happenings architecture and spatial politics. My name is Kristin who and I am currently an editor on field architectures, New York city team. Today we're delving into FAA stories on earth exhibition at the Venice architecture. Be an ally with a certain amine stitch writer, Karen much missing and Italian architect, Angela Renna on their collaborative contribution, the sacred planetary garden. Hi Karen. Hi Angelo.
Speaker 1 00:00:37 Hi Christine. Nice to be here.
Speaker 2 00:00:40 Hi, thank you for having us. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:00:44 Um, you know, it's, it's great that I really have you here and be able to like talk about the, kind of behind the scenes a little bit. So I'm wondering just to like give a quick intro for our listeners. If you could maybe speak a little bit about like what the sacred planetary garden is.
Speaker 1 00:00:58 Uh, well, let me start by saying the planetary garden is not, it's a project, of course, for Tiffany spear Nala, where Angela and I worked on, we called it the planetary garden, but it started off with trying to write a story, both in design and in, in, in words about a botanical garden and through our research, we thought that it would be a better way of describing it as a planetary garden in how we created and how we thought about the process and everything that we found in the research and how we wanted the story to be told. So that's a little bit of the plans regarding naming it like that. So maybe Angelo can add to this from his point of view.
Speaker 2 00:01:46 Yes. I would like to say that me and Connie, we are both interested in understanding the, the relation with nature between human and human and this project in some way is the result of that. And through this project, we actually searched about the first plant that appeared or land on the planet 500 million years ago. And it's not just a project where we were trying to, you know, re revive this, these extincted species, but in some way is a journey back in time. And, uh, looking for the plant, as in some way, we were looking for our ancestors, you know, is true. This plant in some way is the beginning of life. So that was our journey back. And that's what actually the project is trying to say and show.
Speaker 0 00:02:33 Yeah. I mean, I think that's like really deep because, you know, I come from like a landscape architecture background. So it's like, uh, you know, plants are these really interesting thing for me. And actually something that I noticed about your video when I watched it was that it was speaking from the voice of the earth, right. As if like the earth was sort of narrating, uh, what was happening. And so I'm really curious on like how you developed a character for the earth and how like your research or your maybe personal relationships influence that voice.
Speaker 1 00:03:07 I think it has a lot to do of how we look at it ourselves and how we approach nature as a person. And you said, you know, what is human? That there is no distinction between what we call plans or what you call you? My nephew, as we look at 500, see the first, you know, the first creation of the first creator. And, uh, in pseudonym, I worked with indigenous communities deep in the forest. And I learned a lot in how, how we see ourself in protecting nature from a Western point of view. It's like we have something to do as a human to protect nature, but from the indigenous point of view, there is no distinction between human or nature show. It's very natural to take care of our earth. And, and there's a kind of also spiritual force in, in respecting everything that is living.
Speaker 1 00:04:06 So the water, uh, the plants, the three, everything comes from a very deep spiritual feeling that everything in life is like, uh, connected with each other, show dash no power system in that. And that was very leading in how we felt the story both and how we wanted to approach the relation that we try to visualize both in words and, and design and that float into, you know, what you saw. And during our research, also, we looked into specific publications, but also stories that re that were related to our fishing about human and nature and how everything comes together and the indigenous and spiritual point of view. Yeah, that was kind of leading in also in the, in the poem that accompanies need the sign or that moves into the design.
Speaker 0 00:05:07 Awesome. Angela, I was wondering, do you have any reflections on some of this kind of like voices earth, or maybe you can tell us a little bit about the collective research process?
Speaker 2 00:05:18 That's I didn't, I didn't think about that actually about this idea of the voice of the herd. I thought was more, has tried to give voice to, to something else, but I really liked this picture, but also I want to add one thing that is, uh, you know, it's a story, but also we really try to make a research or also be beyond this project. So the, the idea of the plant and the research we did is based on scientific fact. So this plant is not something we invented, or course we did. The project that I think is speculative. And, you know, we, in some way, if our projection of our ideas into that, but the, the plant is based on, let's say on, on real facts is a fossil that is being, uh, find it by, by biologist. And, you know, we work on the speech or that is just a fossil and there is this imprint of the plant and to the study of this biologist, it's in some way as being, let's say a place back in time during the, or division time in which art was basically just water.
Speaker 2 00:06:21 And it's really interesting to understand the beginning of the, uh, let's say the story of planet, because through that also we understanding today and probably we'd also understand better the future. So we were really interested in this idea of looking back to understanding and the future and in some way also to understand our life. And that's, I think there is really something maybe also spiritual in that, and that's something maybe through the project you actually can feel and see, but was not only the, let's say the first reason or the first idea was really to, to make the sort of research project to yeah. To understand. And in some way, visualize, uh, data and fact that they are not available for, for, for everyone, because that's sometimes what happened with science, that it is too complex or too, in a way abstract to people to visualize. And I think to design, to also, uh, poems and writing, uh, we actually can make more accessible this information. And that's what we try to this, uh, to this project.
Speaker 0 00:07:24 See you for sharing that. I mean, I think that's also like a really definitely like I unique point of view in the architecture, right. And like landscape architecture profession, I feel like, because, well, just given the history of the profession, there's always this like contrast right. Between the Western notions of man and nature and like, you know, and, you know, it was particularly bad. Right. And so, um, and particularly white man and nature. So, you know, I think I really appreciate this, this critique on that and bring that to, especially like the, be an ally, you know, a place like that. Another aspect of this project that I think is really interesting to me is just like, uh, the more collaborative nature of, of the project. And also, you know, that there are these series of videos, like this is one in a series of videos that are kind of framed around the different aspects of colonialism. Right. And so I guess I'm wondering like what the collective, uh, research process was like, and how did you maybe collaborate with some of the other team members through old architecture?
Speaker 2 00:08:30 Uh, w I would, I was thinking before we started this conversation about the, the process and how caring actually, we, we work on this project was our first project. So we met actually more than a year ago when we started the project. And we met just let's say visually, because we were in the, uh, during the beginning of the pandemic. And actually we, uh, we did this project entirely, uh, let's say your line. So just meeting and talking together, sometime even just calling each other to, you know, to share ideas and yeah. And talk about the project and in some way that's how evolved and how actually we, we, we developed the project. It was really, for me, it was really easy. Let's say that, of course, collaborative projects sometimes are really taking a lot of energy, you know, because you have to, in some way, always come to a compromise or find a way that in some way in, in order makes happy everyone.
Speaker 2 00:09:29 Uh, but yeah, it was really, was it really special and, and, uh, and was really, um, natural, I would say. And we, we were reading to that sort of, uh, journey together, try to, to find the, you know, th th the right way to display the project, to understand also the information and sharing the test. We did a lot of tests because maybe that's also maybe interesting to say that is the project is basically there are two, or I would say three components. There is the, the 3d printing of the plan that we remodeled the dimensioning and printed, and that sort of physical object that is in some ways, the conclusion of the journey, but there is also a reconstruction of the landscape that the primitive Laskin in which actually the plan appear that is basically the planet 500 millions years ago. And there is the poems that, uh, carry abroad to in some way, explain and feel, you know, the, the story and this journey back in time.
Speaker 2 00:10:33 So all of these components in some way, it's been always, uh, shared between us, you know, also just sending picture I'm on the test about the printing. And it's also nice to say that the, the drawing is three meters by two, I call it fresco because it's a sort of big drawing and my Italian background is coming out. And that's maybe was the only, the, the, the part that takes a lot of time in terms of also choosing the right interior on what to print. And we did a lot of tests in first. We tried to, to print on boot, but was too big and too expensive. Then we went to, uh, we, we find a nice company. We printed actually on, uh, recycled silk, and that was the final result. And we were quite happy. I thought, you know, all this process and the cheese, and we're all, uh, shared. And in some way we were discussing a lot to, you know, just find the right the right, uh, solution. Uh, so in that sense, I think was really nice, what was also shattered together with the, uh, <inaudible> of the project. And also, you know, there were part of the course of the discussion and part of the, the, the project and the yeah. Of the solution.
Speaker 1 00:11:45 I mean, even in the process itself, uh, Angelo talks about this also that in the process itself, we went online because of the pandemic and in the process, we kind of forgot that there was also another, you know, that normally you meet each other and that there's a physical get together, but we were showing the process online that there was, there was an automatically adaptation on to work like this. And what I found very special working together is that we were very open about from the beginning of sharing ideas. And that is also because of the curators that gave space on the ID. And we did a storytelling workshop, uh, all six of us. And that gave us a very good start in different approaches, sharing different perspectives, uh, the diversity of the team. And yes, we did a lot of research. So it was kind of a very interesting to show each other, okay, look, this is what we, what we found on the planetary garden, or this is what we found on the connection of indigenous, uh, and, and, and nature, or this is a garden of art and, and we share pictures, um, or that we ask ourself.
Speaker 1 00:13:07 What if, you know, what if, and even in the design, what if we use wood for the design? Or what if we start the story with the person who travels back, or what if, and we kind of researched on that question, and yes, it was a fairy inspiring collaboration. And in the end we met and it was like, oh, yes, we meet now. But it seems like this was already there somehow. So very creative, a very creative process. And it showed us, I think also the power of being amongst creative people. Yeah. That, that felt very good.
Speaker 0 00:13:49 'cause it ever also reminds me of, you know, I do some digital organizing, like I joined this collective and it was all online. Cause you know, the pandemic and then like, you know, just two months ago we all like met in person for the first time. And it was just like, I know you because like we worked for a year together. So it was like, um, it was very kind of like strangely like matter of fact, almost like experience, you know, but also, um, very exciting, you know, I'm glad that this project also, it shows in both the process, right. And the nature and topic of the, of the work. And I feel like that's really powerful as designers and storytellers, right? Like how does the actual practice right. Of the creation of this project, which although is ultimately in, you know, like an exhibition in that you kind of built these relationships. Right. And so, you know, if you two, want to both just offer some closing reflections on, on any of this. Um, can,
Speaker 1 00:14:51 Yeah, go ahead. I think it's nice that you say that this, this relate the relationship because the heart of what we created is that we've talked about it earlier, that there is, you know, the humanity or I stay also in the poem. I care, I take, uh, I carry us. So there is no distinction, but it seems also that in the flow of working together, um, design storytelling, the poetry, the art work, the whole process kind of float in just like everything was one wanting. There was no distinction between the poem or the material it came as wanting out of us. And that is also typical for how, how you work together. And for me, as a reflection on this, I didn't have an expectation. I just felt that this is very important for me to do something with the topic. And I was very happy to find someone who has the same approach and that even though it was online and that we couldn't meet, and there was a lot of maybe obstacles on when or how, and it took longer than we expected, but, um, that we could create this. And that's even the online thing because of the pandemic added some fell, you also to the work we created because we had another thinking process of how it should be like the video and the material and the narrative and how we, how we use the narrative. So, um, yeah, and that is a, I see it as a ferry, uh, uh, S S S very exciting and still exciting process. We, um, we were able to, uh, give our contribution to
Speaker 2 00:16:45 Yes. And, uh, let's, uh, uh, cannot, uh, cannot something about that. Uh, you know, I, I thought that also the idea of the storytelling is something really interesting as a, let's say, as a tool to use, especially to, you know, to use a story to that, something more with the meaning with the deep meaning. And of course, was something that was requested by the creators to work with the story and in some way, combined design and writing. But what's also something that person, I always really interesting as a designer to not just come with the sort of product, but more creative, a story to make assessable information. And also, yeah. Also make more accessible design because I think as a design, in some way, I feel that it's, there's been stability to create something that has the meaning and that people can understand it. So for me, storytelling in a sort of a way actually to design, and it was really happy to work with, with Korean because we had this, uh, I think of course, a different background and also, uh, because I'm not an architect then Cardenas is, she's a writer, but in Sydney, interesting, I think when you can combine different disciplines and the result, of course, you cannot, uh, predict, you cannot say what this is going to be at the end, but I think it's something you discover a day by days.
Speaker 2 00:18:06 And then that's, I thought it was, I think it's really interesting. And it's a really interesting way to, to work.
Speaker 1 00:18:12 When you say the storytelling Angelo, I was thinking about that we started with, okay, this must be a story like really. And then I said to Angelo, I wrote a poem and, and you know, that this kind of different storytelling, but I feel I write poetry, but I think I wrote just the poem a start. And then I sent it to him like, okay, uh, what will be the reaction? And then he said, yeah, this, this is, this is how, this is how it should be told, you know, I can feel it. And I said, yeah, I felt to write a poem and I will go on with, with different poems to, to lead us through to the story you want to tell and to give voice and the poem kind of give space also to, to, to the design and to what you want to say or what the earth wants to say, as you said, it's so beautiful, Christine. So, uh, yeah, that was a really nice thing.
Speaker 0 00:19:10 That's great. I mean, I mean, to me, I always thinking about like, what is design without meaning, but then how do you express that meaning? And that I think is through storytelling. So thank you so much, both of you for being with us today, looking forward to maybe some future collaboration. So
Speaker 1 00:19:27 Thank you so much also.
Speaker 2 00:19:29 Thank you so much. Thank you very much.
