In-Class Studio Time

For this week’s studio, we formed our groups for our final performance. I have chosen to continue with my previous group’s first idea. Beyond that, we also engaged with this week’s reading in class.

Weekly Reading

For this week’s reading, we watched a TED Talk from Liam Young introducing Planet City, a vision of a future where humanity coexists with nature by limiting their impact on the planet, with a culture based around carnivals and celebrations. It introduces a radical idea where all of humanity coexists in a singular city, occupying as little as 0.02% of the Earth, while we allow nature to overtake the rest of the planet. It also envisions the city completely sustained on sustainable and renewable energy, further leaning into solar-punk aesthetic.

I take issue with this idea’s narrow view on culture and human existence. I feel that the idea of a single, homogeneous culture flattens the cultural diversity in humanity. Not to mention that if all of humanity lives in a singular city, how will existing cultures be affected? What of the numerous indigenous cultures whose connection is to their land? While the concept is interesting, it does feel like it is heavily coloured by the presenter’s own perspective of what a utopia would be like to them.

Performance Work

On the topic of intention and interpretation, I investigated the play Hamilton for this week’s independent research. Mainly, the analysis of the play by F.D Signifier in relation to black culture. Hamilton is a musical play focused on Alexander Hamilton and the founding fathers of the U.S.A. and performed by black performers using hip-hop as the vehicle. F.D Signifier points out the inherent dissonance of a black artform (hip-hop) utilised in a white medium (theatre), for a majority white audience portraying a white story, particularly one of freedom and liberation, whilst ignoring the hypocrisy of the founding fathers, many of which are slave owners. While that dissonance might be intended by the author, it is pointed out that white audiences might not always have the tools or the context to understand those intentions. I think that this gives me something to consider when creating media: despite intentions, it is important to recognise the audience you are signalling to, and adapt your work to prevent those intentions from being twisted.

(408 words)

References

F.D Signifier (2020) Black Movie Breakdown:Hamilton, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGQLryUHP0g

‌TED (2021) Liam Young: Planet City — a sci-fi vision of an astonishing regenerative future | TED, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX4ewS-YIbA