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pneumatology [2008-02-17 19:02] – 217.166.72.254pneumatology [2008-02-20 19:26] – 62.166.51.71
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-===== P N E U M A T O L O G Y =====+ 
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 +=====P N E U M A T O L O G Y=====
 [//pneumatology: from pneuma, meaning air, wind, spirit, soul//]\\ [//pneumatology: from pneuma, meaning air, wind, spirit, soul//]\\
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 +====Context====
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 +//Pneumatology// consists of 
 +  * a visual survey of -alive inflatables- ,\\
 +  * writings trying to distincts what makes an inflatable -alive-
 +  * a collection of physical materials suited for inflatables for foam's public library\\
 +  * a collection of innovative inflatable experts, labs etc.\\ 
 +
  
 <sub>This research is written in the context of [[foam]]'s multireal and real worlds:\\ <sub>This research is written in the context of [[foam]]'s multireal and real worlds:\\
 \\ \\
 //MultiReal//: 'translocal': Art in uncertain conditions //MultiReal//: 'translocal': Art in uncertain conditions
---> guerrilla art-forms -- portable, robust, low-tech, recyclable media, materials and technologies that can adapt to a variety of conditions. How can we make works such as responsive environments more mobile, easy to unpack, even pocket-size (inflate as needed)? how can we make such works +--> guerrilla art-forms -- portable, robust, low-tech, recyclable media, materials and technologies that can adapt to a variety of conditions. How can we make works such as responsive environments more mobile, easy to unpack, even pocket-size (inflate as needed)? how can we make such works accessible to people without galleries and black boxes - in the middle of the desert, or a jungle, or in an urban ghetto? is this type of art and tech needed at all? (think of modular tech and architectures, cheap technological solutions for providing full-body participatory media experiences, portable and soft architectures...)\\
-accessible to people without galleries and black boxes - in the middle of the desert, or a jungle, or in an urban ghetto? is this type of art and tech    needed at all? (think of modular tech and architectures, cheap technological solutions for providing full-body participatory media experiences, portable and soft architectures...)\\+
 \\ \\
 //Real//: 'levitating': 'off the ground' & 'out of this world'. //Real//: 'levitating': 'off the ground' & 'out of this world'.
---> from extreme sports to extreme arts, (sometimes) defying the laws of physics. experiments in wind tunnels and zero-gravity, under-water and hanging from cliff-tops. have the arts become too tame and too self centered? has everything already been experienced? can arts still provide excitement and surprise as they used to when they were more in tune with what society experienced in everyday life? What games to we want to play in a world of mixed realities? (small performances and public +--> from extreme sports to extreme arts, (sometimes) defying the laws of physics. experiments in wind tunnels and zero-gravity, under-water and hanging from cliff-tops. have the arts become too tame and too self centered? has everything already been experienced? can arts still provide excitement and surprise as they used to when they were more in tune with what society experienced in everyday life? What games to we want to play in a world of mixed realities? (small performances and public interventions, expeditions and playgrounds)\\
-interventions, expeditions and playgrounds)\\+
 \\ \\
-I've tasted 3 design principles of [[gRig]]:+while working on this research, I have scanned three design principles of [[gRig]]:
  //sustainability//  //sustainability//
  //playfulness//   //playfulness// 
  //modularity//</sub>  //modularity//</sub>
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 [[Italo Calvino]] underlines this quality as one of his ‘Six Memos for the Next Millennium’, in here he describes a scene from Cernavantes’ novel, leaving me with an unforgettable impression of lightness, in which Don Quixote drives his lance through the sail of a windmill and is hoisted up into the air. And I wonder can we construct our worlds from this lightness. [[Italo Calvino]] underlines this quality as one of his ‘Six Memos for the Next Millennium’, in here he describes a scene from Cernavantes’ novel, leaving me with an unforgettable impression of lightness, in which Don Quixote drives his lance through the sail of a windmill and is hoisted up into the air. And I wonder can we construct our worlds from this lightness.
 Imagine a life more light and imagine it to be constructed more mobile, flexible, portable, organic and more related to our natural surroundings and the elements, and that we can create our homes or shelters wherever our heart is with no fixed form or any beginning and end, either spatially or in time. Imagine a life more light and imagine it to be constructed more mobile, flexible, portable, organic and more related to our natural surroundings and the elements, and that we can create our homes or shelters wherever our heart is with no fixed form or any beginning and end, either spatially or in time.
- 
-And I wonder can we construct our worlds from the lightest quality surrounding us everywhere: –air-. 
-Air's once palpable presence in contemporary architecture has become largely invisible. Our architecture is often asphyxiating its inhabitants, both mentally and physically and it has aswell often become the creation of novel photogenic images. Buildings neither breathe nor allow breath.  
  
 The Renaissance embodied the idea of air or better ‘pneuma’ [wind, air, breath, spirit and soul] in their art of building. One of the primary goals of renaissance architects was to enhance the powers of pneuma so as to foster the art of well-being, essence, wind and ventilation were core principles of classical buildings. Pneuma was a wonderful link for establishing harmony between the human body, architecture and the cosmos, and that building was envisioned as a mediator between the inhabitant's soul and the -anima mundi-, the soul of the world.  The Renaissance embodied the idea of air or better ‘pneuma’ [wind, air, breath, spirit and soul] in their art of building. One of the primary goals of renaissance architects was to enhance the powers of pneuma so as to foster the art of well-being, essence, wind and ventilation were core principles of classical buildings. Pneuma was a wonderful link for establishing harmony between the human body, architecture and the cosmos, and that building was envisioned as a mediator between the inhabitant's soul and the -anima mundi-, the soul of the world. 
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  Philibert Delorme's [French Renaissance architect 1514 -1570] describes that -the prudent architect is fully utilizing all his senses, and explains that the sense-less architect has "little nose" because he does not have the intuition of good things-, is evidence that the pneumatic architectural imagination is multi-sensorial. Renaissance notions of pneuma revealed a concern for the connectedness of person and place where architecture can refine the qualities of air to.  Philibert Delorme's [French Renaissance architect 1514 -1570] describes that -the prudent architect is fully utilizing all his senses, and explains that the sense-less architect has "little nose" because he does not have the intuition of good things-, is evidence that the pneumatic architectural imagination is multi-sensorial. Renaissance notions of pneuma revealed a concern for the connectedness of person and place where architecture can refine the qualities of air to.
  
-Inflatable architecture is simply constructed from the air surrounding us, it is specifically bodily and tactile by nature and they have the quality of lightness in the sense of its portability, its mobility, its playfulness, and its closely relatedness to its surroundings through its thin flexible membrane, acting as our third skin and above all it's able to give shape of –air- itself.+And in wondering if we can construct our worlds from the lightest quality surrounding us everywhere: –air- inflatable architecture comes the closests. Its thin flexible membrane, acts as a space-defining skin is able to give shape of –air- itself allowing it to be a breathing unity with its own integrity. Its close related to its surrounding its specifically bodily and tactile by nature and its portable, mobile, and playful.   
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 The main quality of these inflatables is that they are alive. In such a way that it are inflatable spaces you want to be emerged with, play with, be involved with and for the rest: The main quality of these inflatables is that they are alive. In such a way that it are inflatable spaces you want to be emerged with, play with, be involved with and for the rest:
  
-  * They have a scale somewhere between our second, and third skin (ps. the first skin is our own skin, the [[second skin]] our clothes, the 3rd skin our rooms and buildings.)+  * They have a scale somewhere between our second, and third skin (ps. the first skin is our own skin, the [[second skin]] our clothes, the third skin our rooms and buildings.)
   * They have a nomadic character, in such a way that they are mobile or portable   * They have a nomadic character, in such a way that they are mobile or portable
   * They can be seen as breathing living organisms in which their visitors can become co-structures of a space.   * They can be seen as breathing living organisms in which their visitors can become co-structures of a space.
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 {{ant_.jpg?450}} {{ant_.jpg?450}}
  
-//We imagine that only experts can create these objects, with a few marks of the pencil, worked out laboriously at the drawing board or computer. But to respect the individual who is not an expert precisely for his lack of expertise. Only people in this state of being are in a position to give free rein to change. +//We imagine that one has to be an expert to create these objects, with a few marks of the pencil, worked out laboriously at the computer. But to respect the individual who is not an expert precisely for his lack of expertise. Often people in this state of being are in a position to give free rein to change. 
-The danger is that experts can’t do that anymore, because he’s already learned how things ought to be done, unless he gives up his own ideas and opinions. Everything that is inept, wayward, intuitive, instinctive and emotional, and emerges from ourselves- that is the expertise of the non-expert. Only a great army of ‘non’ specialists’ can give us a proper revolution. Once the individual can go his own way, free of rules and regulations, diversity occurs, because new solutions are constantly being found.//+The danger is that experts can’t do that anymore, because he’s already learned how things ought to be done, unless he gives up his own ideas and opinions. Everything that is inept, wayward, intuitive, instinctive and emotional, and emerges from ourselves- that is the expertise of the non-expert. Once the individual can go his own way, free of rules and regulations, diversity occurs, because new solutions are constantly being found.//
  
  
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 With the most common cheap plastic one can make in less then one hour an inflatable space. With the most common cheap plastic one can make in less then one hour an inflatable space.
 One can simply tape, stitch or iron the layer plastics together, make a hole and mount a table-ventilator and voila there is an inflated space. To enter the space; take a knife and make an incision. One can simply tape, stitch or iron the layer plastics together, make a hole and mount a table-ventilator and voila there is an inflated space. To enter the space; take a knife and make an incision.
-Its a quick medium to construct a space, one can practice building over and over again, every time deepening its patterns, until you know exactly how to realize spaces which work.+Its a quick medium to construct a space, one can practice building over and over again, every time deepening its patterns, until you know exactly how to realize spaces which works. 
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 ===== Some general problem domains in contemporary architecture===== ===== Some general problem domains in contemporary architecture=====
-While reading Juhani Pallasmaa’s little book -[[The Eyes of the Skin]]- he described some general problem domains in our contemporary architecture which were laying on the tip of my tongue.+Juhani Pallasmaa’s described in -[[The Eyes of the Skin]]- some general problem domains in our contemporary architecture:
  
   * The current over-emphases of intellectual and conceptual dimensions of architecture contributes to the disappearance of its physical, sensual and embodied essence.    * The current over-emphases of intellectual and conceptual dimensions of architecture contributes to the disappearance of its physical, sensual and embodied essence. 
-  * While computer design can give us new insights in architecture we shouldn’t forget that creative work calls for bodily and mental identification.+  * While computer design can give us new insights in architecture we shouldn’t forget that creative work calls aswell for bodily and mental identification.
   * In general while our experience of the world is formulated by a combination of five senses, much architecture is produced under consideration of only one -the most dominated in our time – sight. The suppression of the other sensory realms has led to an impoverishment of our environment, causing a feeling of detachment and alienation.    * In general while our experience of the world is formulated by a combination of five senses, much architecture is produced under consideration of only one -the most dominated in our time – sight. The suppression of the other sensory realms has led to an impoverishment of our environment, causing a feeling of detachment and alienation. 
 The inhumanity of contemporary architecture and cities can be understood as the consequence of the negligence of the body and the senses, and the imbalance in our sensory system. Every touching experience in architecture is multi-sensory; qualities of space, matter and scale are measured equally by the eye, ear, nose, skin, tongue, skeleton and muscle, the way places feel, the sound and the smell of places has equal weight to way things look.  The inhumanity of contemporary architecture and cities can be understood as the consequence of the negligence of the body and the senses, and the imbalance in our sensory system. Every touching experience in architecture is multi-sensory; qualities of space, matter and scale are measured equally by the eye, ear, nose, skin, tongue, skeleton and muscle, the way places feel, the sound and the smell of places has equal weight to way things look. 
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 [reference to :There is a Timeless Way of Building- patterns of events]\\ [reference to :There is a Timeless Way of Building- patterns of events]\\
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 +====Aim====
  
  
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    ***Design considerations for inflatable structures**    ***Design considerations for inflatable structures**
-After Coming across some problematic patterns among my own experience of creating inflatables, and the inflatable structures of the architects of Airs’s Luminarium and some more colleagues,  I thought its worthwhile to acknowledge the most common obstacles one comes across in inflatable structures anyhow. When we are able to surpass these obstacles, these structures will be more stable and alive. It considers issues like; dominant odors, choosing the right materials, energy sources, climate control etc. In this part no solutions will be given to any design problem, but some suggestions will be given so now and then…\\+After Coming across some problematic patterns in creating inflatables myself, and the inflatable structures of the architects of Airs’s Luminarium and some more colleagues,  I thought its worthwhile to acknowledge the most common obstacles one comes across in inflatable structures anyhow. When we are able to surpass these obstacles, these structures will be more stable and alive. It considers issues like; dominant odors, choosing the right materials, energy sources, climate control etc. In this part no solutions will be given to any design problem, but some suggestions will be given so now and then…\\ 
  
  
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   * People inside became very sleepy after a while; it´s a passive space aswell the ongoing ambient music makes you murf and maybe it was as well the dose or flow of oxygen which slows you down.\\   * People inside became very sleepy after a while; it´s a passive space aswell the ongoing ambient music makes you murf and maybe it was as well the dose or flow of oxygen which slows you down.\\
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 but you can set your goal for 20 years, just define where you wanna go.\\ but you can set your goal for 20 years, just define where you wanna go.\\
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 +==== Discussion====
 +- As I've  mentioned in the context I have scanned via the inflatables three design principles and I like to come back to them a bit
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 +  * //sustainability//   We all now that this is quite complex matter and I wonder if sustainability is really a word that can empower us... The word itself is putting a heavy load on our shoulders. It can paralyze us, or pushes our guild buttons; we must shrink our presence, our systems, our activities ans so on. So it blocks our creativity. But we are part of nature to!  So maybe what empowers us more is for instance to think in bio-life-cycles. And we don’t have to be perfect right now, for instance the biodegradable materials we want are not all available now, but we can set our goals for 20 years from now in which we define where we wanna go. Another thing I like to mention is that something sustains itself, when its made with real care and when its patterns are deeply connected to our own experiences, then we automatically like to look after it.
 +
 +    * The second design principle playfullness, reminds me most of a documentary I've seen about otters; in one scene; an otter is swimming in a river, and that day a thick layer of snow was fallen. One moment the otter is passing a hilly bank covered with snow. he goes out of the water and ran up the hill, and slides down into the water, he repeats it about 5 more times and then continues swimming in the river. There was no purpose for the otter for gliding down this hill, no other then that he enjoyed doing do. Maybe I selected the pictures for the Inflatable Inspirations with this quality of playfullness in the back of my mind. Its there where rigidity stops and “flow” occurs.
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 +    * The thirth principle was modularity. One can always ask yourself how does it feel, to have a modular surrounding. Nature is never modular. Nature is full of almost similar units (waves, raindrops, blades of grass-) but though the units of one kind are all alike in their broad structure, no two are ever alike in detail. - the same broad features keep recurring over and over again. - in their detail appearance these broad features are never twice the same. - The quality of places is never twice the same, because it always takes its shape from the particular place in which it occurs. Each part is slightly different, according to its position in the whole. Each branch of a tree has a slightly different shape, according to its position in the tree. Each leaf on the branch is given its detailed form by its position on the branch. So an alternative is to think of differentiating spaces: It is not a process of addition, in which pre-formed parts are combined to create a whole: but a process of unfolding, like the evolution of an embryo, in which the whole precedes in parts, and actually gives birth to them, by splitting (so becoming different in the process of growth or development). Only a process of differentiation, can generate a natural thing; because this kind of process can shape parts individually, according to their position in the whole.
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 +- The Visual Collection of -Alive Inflatables-
 +In looking for structures for inflatables as a visual survey; I became very tired quickly. Maybe because I came across a lot of dead stuff. So I decided to  look intuitively for inflatables I just liked. And then after looking at them I found out what the quality of these inflatables was and that was that they were alive in one way or another. In such a way that it are inflatable spaces you want to be emerged with, play with, be involved with. And some of these inflatables are to simple to be true, but have an amazing opening effect on people. After having an inspiring collection, all kinds of different structures unfold by themselves, and it was out of curiousity I was eager to give explanations by all the pictures.
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 +- Up to now I noticed people (no matter what their profession is) react very strongly on the visual collection of the research, and yes it was  the part I enjoyed doing the most.
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 +- As a follow up from this research I have like do realize two events where I will develop inflatable spaces solely inflated by wind.
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 +- I l like to continue on three parts of the research; the collections of the visual survey, the collection of inflatable materials for the library and the list of interesting inflatable producers, labs, experts etc.
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   * Flying Lightness, Adriaan Beukers - Ed van Hinte, 2005, ISBN 90-6450-538-1   * Flying Lightness, Adriaan Beukers - Ed van Hinte, 2005, ISBN 90-6450-538-1
   * [[The Eyes of the Skin]], Juhani Pallasmaa, 2005, ISBN 0470015780   * [[The Eyes of the Skin]], Juhani Pallasmaa, 2005, ISBN 0470015780
-  * Nature Culture Fusion-Louis G. Le Roy, 2002 ISBN 90-5662-278-1.+  * Nature Culture Fusion-Louis, G. Le Roy, 2002 ISBN 90-5662-278-1.
   * Leven op ’t hof, Gerard smallegange, ISBN 90-72138-00-7   * Leven op ’t hof, Gerard smallegange, ISBN 90-72138-00-7
 +  * Form Defining Strategies, Markus Hudert
  
  
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