To be an Architect

Hidden Cities

 

Literature is a medium in which stories are told, some of them original but most are tales from across the centuries adapted to a contemporary or different context, or to a modified theme to enhance the storyline. Using the literature, Invisible Cities, as the basis, we are to study, analyse and creatively adapt it using a graphical representation for Project 1. Refering to one of the chapters of the Invisible Cities, we have to discuss the theemes and relate the city we choose from the book to the current and contemporary context of architecture that are significant in re-telling of the stories. The city that we chose was the "Hidden City". 

 

In a group of 2, my friend and I decided to re-present the story of "Hidden City" through an abstract 2D form, which is painting, based on the contemporary context of time. We had to describe the story and the ideas extracted from the story based on our own understanding after reading and observing the city as well as the people living in the city.  

 

 

 

Meaning of our art:

 

The circle represents the magnifying glass and the white rim around the circle shows that the city is secluded and hidden away from the world, just like the "Hidden City". The people living in the city do not know what the world out there is really like. Thus, they always imagine another world better and more beautiful then the one that the one that they are living in the present time. Even for  a brief moment, their imagination can lead them to another world and fill them with rays of hope and happiness. There are two cities. The first city is dark and fill with pain and suffering. This city is their reality. Hence, this part of the city was painted black as the background, to represent loss and darkness. The skyscrappers in the hidden city is represented in criss cross lines, based on what we abstracted from the story which stated the network of wires, antennas, pipes and scaffoldings. The city was also somewhat like a cemetry and is their burial place. This proves that city was indeed condense and pack to the point that there wasnt enough land to even build a proper burial ground for the poeple. The cemetry in the story also represents living condidtion and architecture of the city that is dead, not litereally, but in a metaphor way. Therefore this city is represented with just lines to show its weakness and fragility, and at any given moment, it will crumble. The second city is a reflection of the first city, which is their dream and imagination,  and what they foresee in the future for their children. This city is painted in gold to show the brighter and more beautiful side of the city. Although a new city is to emerge, it will still be connected to the first city through an invisible thread, which actually means the people's bond and history living in the old city. The swallow painted in the drawings, represent the people's desire for freedom. They are painted around the circle of white rim instead and not in the sky itself, which actually shows that their dream and desire is still far from their reach. The swallows are painted with two colors as well, one gold and another black. The black swallow represents the negative side of human being, that will never satisfy and find faults in life no matter how contented their life may be from the outside. As for the gold swallow, it represents hope and happiness. Even when the people in the first city was living a life of dark times, their hearts still hold on to hope and justice. Even amidst their pain and  struggle in life, they still show kindness and mercy to one another.