Evaluation

The Place: Utopia

8) Evaluation

Description & methodological aspect of the process

The process included a 6 page detailed draft sketches of the idea and its development. Once the methodology that suited the idea of the project was crystallized, the chart given was followed in each step. Hence the structure of the blog (http://utopiaplaceproject.blogspot.com/) has been very strictly divided into 8 blog posts respectively.

Aesthetics methodology was preferred in this case, since it is an imaginary place, visuals were needed to describe it. Even though the Aesthetics methodology has been chosen, the experimental or empirical side-effect gained through each stage in time becomes apparent through the visual language itself. This is obvious when comparing the very first image to the very last, which complemented the final multimedia artefact.

Research was limited to Wikipedia source mainly both for reasons of organizing and minimizing the time spent on research to invest it for the visual making. However, research has been the foundational part to build upon the ideas for the visual language. Images have been taken from various sources, such as magazines, journals, internet, digital camera & and actually hand-drawn backgrounds.

The main purpose of the blending technique used in most of the images was to overlay different image layers as I overlaid ideas together to create visuals anew. For example in several occasions network maps have been overlaid with religious, traditional images and scientific/futuristic images with earthy images. Besides, the main purpose was to engage two contradictory notions (idealism vs. realism) together.

Internet is the actual link in the final outcome, suggested as a non-existing place through out the project. It is the very connection point in-between reality and virtual world.

Strengths vs. Weaknesses

The idea of a no-place explored as an actual place is capturing, unusual, not very often talked about; rather original and fresh. The photo mosaic multimedia although emerged at a later stage during the project, it matched my initial idea of utopia nicely.

· Lack of time to further experiment with various medium to produce the multimedia artefact. Less options to experiment in a blog rather than a dedicated web page.

· Inability to upload Flash or music content on the blog, because image files had to be supported by external server.

· Some people thought the theme of the project wasn’t very clear, but were unaware of the concept of utopia altogether.

· Extensive text in blogs for the average reader to read perhaps.

What could have been done differently would probably be to build a webpage in order to have more control over the making, yet loose the comment interaction favouring blogs.

Presentation

The Place: Utopia

7) Presentation

As mentioned in the previous post, the premise communicated is an abstract, surreal outcome.

Utopia of my perception as a premise is abstract and surreal, almost anarchic since there is no hierarchy, but structure is apparent. S. Dali’s clocks suggest a melting, flexible concept of time, whereas the pending cones are the very imaginative and utopic characteristic. Both the flame and the blue sky hint the concept of faith and hope. In this utopia people are aware that contribute as a mosaic to their society. Much like a frame to shape the place they live in. Hence this mosaic represents the relationship of individual to social, much debated throughout this project.

Internet is the abstract network map giving texture to the visual, where its tiles are the nodes and terminals. Internet is a form of linkage and communication between the tiles.

The grids work as or limitations set in between tiles relationships and the borders between reality and fantasy distinguished by a thin line. In a sense this is the realistic part of utopia flirting with each other!

From utopia place ...

Explanation

The Place: Utopia

6) Explanation

In the course of this project I have ventured myself with the cause, meaning and the role of utopia concept for the humanity. Inspired by the concise meaning and cause of utopia through this title, I made my own visions. The photo mosaic is a visual outcome of how I perceived utopia through the journey of this project.

As a main creating way I have decided to play with the gestalt visual theory.

(Roy R. Behrens, Art, Design and Gestalt Theory, Leonardo, Vol. 31, No. 4. (1998), pp. 299-303, Stable URL:

http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0024-094X%281998%2931%3A4%3C299%3AADAGT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-9

reviewed on Sun Apr 8 06:16:54 2007)

Figure-ground relationships, shapes not closed or amidst yet clearly visible and tartan compositional grids were some ventured techniques. However, I have tried to grid images with reference to the golden rule of harmony as well. Further blending images together, was an essential part to support my view of blending utopia with reality, as much as it actually incurred spontaneously and thus appears more abstract.

From utopia place ...

The software I used to manage this outcome is interesting open-source software named AndreaMosaic. Hovering over each tile becomes visible at the top left corner of the web page, whereas double clicking on a tile will open the image in a separate window or tab in the browser.

I perceive this outcome as a visual of visuals, a shape out of shapes. The pictures are many, some algorithmically repeated or flipped, so they are similar, yet not the same; similar to the manner we form opinions from a puzzle of influences. The small pictures could well represent the individual forming a grant whole, what we call society.

Unfortunately for purposes of blogging restrictions, I have been unable to add music and flash directly to link that externally. Presentation post is therefore included in the CD of the project only.

Testing

Testing

The Place: Utopia

5) Testing

In the course of this project I have ventured myself with the cause, meaning and the role of utopia concept for the humanity. During my research I came up with a very interesting article entitled as “The Principle of hope” by Bloch. Inspired by the concise meaning and cause of utopia through this title, I made my own visions of utopia.

From Testing Images

An ecologic & humanistic utopia (see ecological humanities). This type of utopia is called Ecotopia and it promotes a sustainable living in harmony with nature, it embraces technology yet selectively, encourages creativity, lack of hierarchy in communities to boost individual decision making and mainly uses a constructive consensus rather than voting.

From Testing Images

Human rights utopia: Under the knowledge that utopias by definition will never be located anywhere or the knowledge that happiness comes from a blend of awareness of present situation an active hope of bettering what affords to be bettered. The Internet is simply the medium to accompany us in this quest, rather than the purpose itself!

From Testing Images

“A reinterpretation of 20th century art from cubism and the historical avant-garde movements to the present by questioning the very notion of modernity and the established relationship between art and utopia.” (Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA)(2004 June)Art & utopia: action restricted, retrieved on 16/04/07 from http://www.barcelona2004.org/eng/eventos/exposiciones/docs/docarteutopiaeng.pdf )

Utopia stimulated the imagination of various artists in painting, photography like Picasso, Dali,

Walker Evans. Surrealism could be closely related to utopia, flavoring it with abstract and beyond logic norms and forms and thus infusing it with a more dramatic effect.

From Testing Images

This is a visual outcome of how I perceive utopia. Yet we perceive the world in a different way. It is this very way, the most interesting part of this project: To share thoughts freely on the World Wide Web!

Making

The Place: Utopia

4) Making

Here, I will venture to correlate internet and other types of utopia. Thus suggesting that internet is encapsulating the utopia concept of all times and yet flirting with reality world!

From Making Images

Internet & Economic utopia:

1. Free access of information, open-source, free applications and global communication through online forums groups, societies, etc. for about 1.114billion people globally. (Internet. (2007, April 13). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13:11, April 13, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Internet&oldid=122477326)

2. Working from home potentials, linked with e-commerce and online market “earn while you sleep” capital advertised potentials. (Internet. (2007, April 13). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13:11, April 13, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Internet&oldid=122477326)

3. Can the web save the world? - (OLPC) One Laptop Per Child project is a hopeful effort to educate the developing countries through the riches of free internet. (Wilk R. (2007 March 29)Can the web save the world? .net magazine, issue 162, p.48-50)

From Making Images

Internet & Political utopia:

Closely related to economic utopia bares characteristics of various utopias.

1. Communistic utopias: Information and data sharing between individuals (peer to peer, instant messaging etc.)

2. Socialistic utopias: relate to the working class and Christianity. Internet is nowadays accessed about 1.114billion people globally in some countries even publicly provided to the society, not only for bourgeois.

3. Anarchic utopias: In Anarchist community denominations of money are in the sense of labor (labor notes), where products are sold at cost in anarchic societies. An analogous example would be the online money Linden dollars (L$) are used instead of real money in www.secondlife.com , a virtual world where its users can interact with each other as in real life.

4. Capitalistic utopias: online market is thriving when more than 1/3 of the internet population is making online purchases.

5. Democracy: freedom of speech such as individual and group blogs, forums, conference VOIP calls, virtual societies and various forms or chat groups and forums. Only some countries censor internet access. There are only some laws to prevent impunity of misuse of children and explicit adult context; as well as copyright laws of infringement.

From Making Images

Internet & Religious utopia:

Most associated with the existential dilemma of life after death (i.e. such as Heaven, Nirvana or Moksha). On the other hand, virtual societies formed online, such as “Second life”, “There” could also imply a socio-economical as well as religious meaning.

From Making Images

Internet & Scientific utopia:

Maybe internet it doesn’t happen to convert the humanity into a Garden of Eden, where people stop suffering and dying. However, it has brought us close to virtual reality, another life, a more global one. Global culture is being rapidly formed under the internet medium. It has become a tool of our every day life and thus flirting with reality very closely; it even comes close enough to “stealing” it as one becomes increasingly endorsed to the new technology!

Development

The place: Utopia

3) Development

The voyage of utopia over time

In this section we will examine how the concept of utopia evolved, by mythology and religion, philosophers and intellectuals, authors and film directors, throughout the years. The following timeline is here to roughly portray the long journey of utopia through visual language over time.

1) The birds>Aristophanes> 414 B.C.> Cloud cuckoo Land is celestial utopia, the perfect city, found amidst the clouds, were humans pay no taxes or sacrifices to the Gods and are transformed to birds and fly. This could reference back to the innate human dream to be able to fly (or escape). (From the performance of the Birds of Aristophanes, Art Theatre, directed by Carolos Koun, first performance 1959, © Archives of Mimis Kouyoumtzis - Art Theatre. url retrieved on 11/04/07 http://www.ancientgreekdrama.gr/en/general/videogallery/koun_3.html )

2) Republic or (The State, Πολιτεία)>Plato> 360 B.C. > written in quest of the meaning of justice. “...may be regarded as the… leader of a goodly band of followers; for in the Republic is to be found the original of Cicero's De Republica, of St. Augustine's City of God, of the Utopia of Sir Thomas More, and of the numerous other imaginary States which are framed upon the same model”

From Development Images

3) City of God>St. Augustine> 5^th century A.D.> “enunciated the theocratic ideal that dominated visionary thinking in the Middle Ages.”

From Development Images

4) Utopia>Thomas More> 1516> the term utopia is first used. “Mores’ "Utopia" contains a detailed description of the imaginary hedonistic and communistic society called Utopia-literally, "Nowhere."…consists of a subtle blend of the ideal and the actual.” Brian R. Goodey(Jan., 1970),Mapping "Utopia": A Comment on the Geography of Sir Thomas More, Geographical Review, Vol. 60, No. 1. , pp. 15-30.Stable URL:http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0016- 428%28197001%2960%3A1%3C15%3AM%22ACOT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-5 reviewed on Sun Apr 8 11:35:42 2007

This book has been of a great influence in the western world, i.e. Gulliver’s travels and many others as we will see in the timeline.

From Development Images

5) The New Atlantis>Francis Bacon> 1626>It depicts a mythical land, Bensalem, marriage and family are the basis of society and family ties are celebrated in state-sponsored holidays.

From Development Images

6) Looking Backward>Edward Bellamy>1888>The book tells the story of Julian West, a young American who, towards the end of the 19th century, falls into a deep, hypnosis-induced sleep and wakes up more than a century later. He finds himself on the same spot (Boston) but in a totally changed world: It is the year 2000 and, while he was sleeping, the U.S.A. has been transformed into a socialist utopia. This book is basically a microphone for Bellamy's complex thoughts about improving the future.

From Development Images

7) Shangri-La>James Hilton> 1933>”Shangri-La has become synonymous with any earthly paradise but particularly a mythical Himalayan utopia—a permanently happy land, isolated from the outside world. The word also evokes the imagery of exoticism of the Orient. The story of Shangri-La is based on the concept of Shambhala, a mystical city in Tibetan Buddhist tradition.”

From Development Images

8) Arcadia>1933-1945> an actual place in Greece related to the Greek mythological god Pan. A symbol of pastoral simplicity Inspiring naturalists and purists, both in visual arts and literature. It is presented as the spontaneous result of life lived naturally, untouched by civilization. In modern times Arcadia represents fantasy, dream and magic.

From Development Images

9) Star Trek>Gene Roddenberry>1966>this is a characteristic scientific utopia of the 20^th century, where its heroes are essentially altruists and throughout the series several cultural issues such as peace, human rights and the role of technology, are imposed. Utopia Planitia>1976> A place in Mars, used in Star Trek as a home for the Fleet Yard: Feature: Utopia Planitia Type: Planitia, planitiae Location: 49.7N, 118E Size: 3200km / 1988mi Named in: 1973 Named for: Classical albedo feature name. ( Utopia located on Google Mars retrieved from: http://www.google.com/mars/#lat=33&lon=118.6&q=utopia on 9 April, 2007 at 00:23)

From Development Images

10) Internet>1983> Found by accident the internet became popular under the World Wide Web. People can now share free applications, free online open source knowledge and information, free communication either through emails or voice over calls. People can voice their opinions freely (in most occasions) & globally. Undoubtedly it has changed the way we interact, since it consists of a political, social, economical, religious & technological impact altogether.

From Development Images

Research

The place: Utopia

2) Research

Utopia was made up out of necessity rather than joy (Visual Types of utopia)

Delving deeper into the makings of utopia, we can see that different cultures and civilizations visualised utopia in a different way. This has been manifested mainly through mythology. Religion, closely linked to mythology, has played a key role in determining this visual. Yet, one think that they have in common is reaching a perfect, happy and harmonious state of being. In some way utopias have long been the antidote of harsh and painful living, where human suffering & death is overcome. A flee from reality or “escape lands” is a characteristic of economic type of utopia.

Cultural and individual perceptions of utopia:

v Social can be divided into Western and Oriental.

Western is in quest for the ideal society and perfect (political) state, whereas the

Oriental culture has usually been is quest for the individual’s ultimate state of being. (I.e. Nirvana-religious driven)

v Individuals likewise have been accordingly affected in their perception of utopia. However since each individual is likely to describe or visualize utopia in a similar yet not same manner.

Types of Utopia

(Reference: Utopia. (2007, April 7). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:12, April 7, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Utopia&oldid=120966795)

v Economic utopia.

According to utopian anarchism,” life is not static, so utopia refers not to a vague dream, a static environment in with "all are happy", but rather utopia is achieved as soon as this fluid system is achieved, recognizing that all goals change at all times, and progress is the source of satisfaction.” (Utopian anarchism. (2007, March 26). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:46, April 7, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Utopian_anarchism&oldid=118064461)

Whereas in socialist utopia intellectuals who created hypothetical visions of perfect egalitarian and communalist societies without actually concerning themselves with the manner in which these societies could be created or sustained.

v Political & Historical utopia.

Here the Government establishes a society, striving towards perfection.

v Religious utopia.

In all Christianity, Jewish and Islamic religions one will meet the Heavens where purity and eternal happiness will finally reign, otherwise the sinners will end up in eternal punishment (dystopia). A characteristic example is the Garden of Eden describing in detail how utopia will be like. As mentioned above this is more of a social utopia rather than an individual.

Buddhism’s utopia is “Nirvana” this is the highest happiness achieved through enlightenment.

Hinduism is not far from Buddhism with “Moksha”, liberation from the circle of death.

v Scientific & Technological utopia

is maintained throughout the riches of technology, forming a radical change in human living standard. Such a utopia is mainly fictional and a great example could well be Star Trek.

Scientific Utopia: The Internet

Internet is the greatest invention after the car. Undoubtedly the way we interact has shifted. People form groups, communities of the same interests. Free applications and knowledge is global. I will not examine whether it has made us more or less communicative, but rather pinpoint the evolution of living standards. The direct access to information, e-commerce, long destination video calls, online meetings and what not!

Still you cannot see or hear the internet like you could experience any other place either on earth or mars. It is a place to meet, yet it resides nowhere. Nobody owns internet and it knows no country boundaries. Some claim it holds freedom of speech, others claim it is yet another government toy to entice and control its citizens all the more.

Like the knife, it is a tool made by humans and thus can be used for good and for bad; it is to the user’s intention whether internet is our utopia or dystopia. But nobody can reject the power or the medium! It is the milestone of our era or to the next era yet to come. Let’s enjoy it!

Premise

The place: Utopia

1) Premise

What is utopia? (Etymology & Definition)

From utopia place ...

utopia. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved April 04, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/utopia

From utopia place ...

utopia. (n.d.). Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved April 04, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/utopia

How to get there?

Utopia by definition is “nowhere”. One cannot practically go to utopia. Even though many societies named places after this mythical destination. Places like Cloud Cuckoo Land, Arcadia, Atlantis, Cockaigne, Utopia planitia, Star trek, Neverland and Wonderland or even Shangri-La are more or less fictional. Hence, one can only fantasize and communicate utopia his/her own manner.

This perplexing notion has been depicted by philosophers and intellectuals since the ancient Greeks from Homer (The island of Phaiakians), Plato (The Republic) and Aristophanes (The birds), to Thomas More (Utopia) and greatly influenced surrealist artists and futurist science.

How has this influenced societies and consequently us as individuals and in what aspect?

How can individuals share their thoughts and visuals of utopia in this very blog?

Or are we already there, yet we fail to see it in our ever going quest for perfection?

In this project, we will explore the concept of a contemporary utopia such as the advent of the Internet amongst other types of utopia and how those are interweaved. So, if Internet could be considered the utopia of or our era, then the way to get there is to have access to a digital device to actually be online. This is how online communities are formed throughout the globe.

So if utopia is:

No place

No procession

No boundaries (country wise)

No order (debatable)

Random structure (debatable)

Unlimited access (debatable)

So internet is!

Describe utopia: idealism vs. realism

My perception of utopia is an amalgam of a well structured city, yet bearing anarchy. A freedom inspired by human rights, equalism, altruism and pacifism. People live in harmony with nature. As mentioned by J. Lennon in his song “Imagine”, it could be a state without borders or religions, nothing to kill or die for, whilst people share the entire world in its presence without force or compulsion. Perhaps in this world politics is to the interest of everybody and decisions would be approved by internet plebiscite and implemented by voluntary, elected intellectuals. Humanity is satisfied in its reality.

Utopia as a term tends to be idealistic and thus opposing to pragmatism. Yet again realising utopia is viable through merging it with reality, perhaps by feeling content with what we already have. As we will see utopia resembles and flirts with pragmatism and vice versa. “It is not only reality including elements of utopia, but also utopia that occasionally flirts with reality”.(Papaggelis Th. (07/05/2000), “The Flirt of utopia & reality”Newspaper “To Vima”,p.B14, retrieved April 04, 2007 from website: http://tovima.dolnet.gr/print_article.php?e=B&f=12925&m=B14&aa=2 )

What is about this place that you want to communicate?

• The exciting paradox of the human nature
• The neurosis of perfection in humans
• The unceasing vanity to success an ultimate state (money, power, knowledge)
• The creation of “escape lands” in avoidance of the preciousness of present time
• The variety and types of utopia conceptions in different cultures-societies-individuals
• The amount of inspiration deriving from this concept

How does your idea relate to the visual code you are interested? (Aesthetic Method)

A blog is website where entries are made in journal style to communicate thoughts, ideas or experiences. They exist in a cyberspace we call the internet, a space we cannot hear or see without a medium! Therefore arguable enough whether is realistically exists; just like utopias!

In this blog space, the challenge is to depict a utopia within the realm of pragmatism. The visuals created accompanied by texts are destined to be subjective as much as the concept of utopia itself. For readers this is an open invitation to simply share their own ideas of utopia and what that means to them.