Abstract
In the cover copy of his 1998 monologue Globalization : The Human Consequences, Zygmunt Bauman wrote that “neo-tribal and fundamentalist tendencies are as legitimate offspring of globalization as the widely acclaimed ‘hybridization’ of top culture”. Bauman warned of the social consequences of global mobility (for those of sufficient economic and political means) and the replacement of place-bound interpersonal networks with high-speed digital communications. Nearly 30 years on, having witnessed an unprecedented rise in global terror threat, societal conflict and concern over the rise of far right extremism, the risk which Bauman identified seems more critical than ever. Informed by Richard Sennett’s theories on ‘the uses of disorder’, Flying Paper Objects explores the power of collective acts of play in promoting an ‘appreciation of otherness’ across diverse societies. Using a practice-research model the workshop offers participants the opportunity to engage in conversation and develop interpersonal understanding across cultural and demographic lines. Through the familiar and culturally inclusive pastime of kiting, participants will engage in a collective experience, share personal memories and reflect on the significance of kiting to themselves personally and culturally. Participants will document their experience through a smart-phone based questionnaire containing various prompts and by producing a reflective drawing. Flying Paper Objects explores the notion that collective acts of play serve an important purpose in creating bonds across diverse societies, promoting appreciation of difference and supporting the development of positive relationships between people and the social spaces that they share.
Presenters
John WoodLecturer, FLUX Atelier, Manchester School of Architecture, Manchester, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Cohesion, Craft, Active, Placemaking, Conflict, Reconciliation, Globalisation
