The politics of Space
The politics of Space
The politics of Space
For most people, ruins are desolate, terrifying, and dangerous, prompting them to avoid such places. However, for many artists, ruins are not a novel subject. Both domestic and international photographers have been drawn to them. For example, the veteran photographer, Yao Ruizhong, engaged in documentary photography of ruins for over a decade. The abandoned theaters captured by Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre are particularly striking. Why is it that terror, instead of repelling, captivates? The discussion here revolves around the spectral spectrum, shifting from collective consciousness toward individualism.
I. Spatial Politics
Ruins and Civilization Human beings have evolved from their primal, animalistic state due to work and effort to fulfill various needs. Humans have the ability to create something that persists beyond their own life, and collective endeavors can lead to achievements that become immortalized. "The world," in providing a field for human action, facilitates politics and conditions for immortality, as long as the community endures (Hannah Arendt, 1958). Social activities unfold in space, shaping specific places and regions that enable people to experience the world, interact with others, and get to know one another. Space is produced by various social forces and intervenes in shaping human life and social relationships. Places and spaces are crucial clues for understanding societal dynamics. The rise and fall of space reflect and mediate social relationships in conflict, serving as arenas and instruments of power. In short, ruins, as remnants of abandoned structures, provide traces that can be followed.
II. Taboo Generation
French philosopher Georges Bataille believed that human individuals are fundamentally solitary, independent from others, and inevitably mortal. Each "incoherent life" longs for communication and union with others. This desire may stem from the primal connection with the maternal body, recalling memories of the negative space (chora), and the latent desire to return to the primordial state. Faced with the existential solitude, death, and sex possess the capacity to transcend the gap between individuals, offering a means of communication, communion, and the ability to merge with the other. Paradoxically, death and sex, possessing such communicative capacity, have been two longstanding taboos in human history. People harbor contradictory emotions of fear and fascination towards these aspects.
As mentioned earlier, the distinction between humans and animals lies in the human capacity for work and future planning, unlike animals relying solely on instincts. However, when humans witness the death of others, the corpse becomes a portrayal of the observer's future, even if primitive humans lacked language to express this, they could keenly feel the overwhelming fear that death could render their past efforts futile. This fear compels humans to reject violence and attempt to establish clear boundaries against it. Taboos are generated to prevent violence from disrupting the routine conduct of daily work. The basic object of taboo is violence, with death and sex gradually becoming taboo subjects.
From Bataille's perspective, our violent impulses (such as death and sex) would disrupt the tranquil order required for human consciousness. Taboos can exclude violence. The establishment of consciousness can escape the interference of taboos; without these taboos, consciousness would not exist. We can view taboos as the result of fundamental emotions upon which human nature depends. Taboos transform sex from a reproductive instinct into a more intense desire. Death and sex themselves represent violence that disrupts the world of work, signifying the breakdown of established patterns and the rules of societal life. Thus, the anxiety and pleasure arising from transcending taboos and returning to the primal "sacred moment" is a regression to the original chaotic state.
III. Abjection
Philosopher, psychoanalyst, and sociologist Julia Kristeva proposed in her work "Powers of Horror" that an infant's vomiting response to semiliquid food might be the most primitive expression of abjection. Although the food provided by parents for nourishment is essential for the infant's survival, the act of feeding involves the integration of the infant into the symbolic order established by the "I," representing societal concepts. While the infant rejects the mush, it risks rejecting vital nutrients and facing potential death, expressing the inherent rejection between the self and the symbolic order. Kristeva's deduction occurs on an individual level. In this process, the subject demonstrates the possibility of becoming the "abject body" of the entire symbolic order, possessing ambiguous and contradictory characteristics.
Abject objects often pose a threat to the living, arising from identity, internal societal conflicts, or substances that challenge established order. These objects have a strong "borderline" nature, situated between life and death, cleanliness and filth, sacredness and profanity. Although excluded by the subject and structure, the presence and boundaries defined by these abject bodies are essential for defining the subject and structure in turn. The will of abjection may revive the subject's memories of the negative space, returning to the "undeveloped" state, a time when everything was not clearly defined.
IV. Conclusion
While proposed by different scholars, I personally find strong similarities between Bataille's violent impulses and abject objects, both threatening identity, societal operations, and established order. "Ruins" can be considered a form of abject, encompassing not only abandoned structures but also things we find repulsive, refuse to face, yet still exist in a state of inertia. By studying and carefully examining these phenomena, which are often challenging to articulate in a few words, I aim to present a series of works using various media, unraveling the shameful mysteries that may open up new perspectives and discussions.
For most people, ruins are desolate, terrifying, and dangerous, prompting them to avoid such places. However, for many artists, ruins are not a novel subject. Both domestic and international photographers have been drawn to them. For example, the veteran photographer, Yao Ruizhong, engaged in documentary photography of ruins for over a decade. The abandoned theaters captured by Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre are particularly striking. Why is it that terror, instead of repelling, captivates? The discussion here revolves around the spectral spectrum, shifting from collective consciousness toward individualism.
I. Spatial Politics
Ruins and Civilization Human beings have evolved from their primal, animalistic state due to work and effort to fulfill various needs. Humans have the ability to create something that persists beyond their own life, and collective endeavors can lead to achievements that become immortalized. "The world," in providing a field for human action, facilitates politics and conditions for immortality, as long as the community endures (Hannah Arendt, 1958). Social activities unfold in space, shaping specific places and regions that enable people to experience the world, interact with others, and get to know one another. Space is produced by various social forces and intervenes in shaping human life and social relationships. Places and spaces are crucial clues for understanding societal dynamics. The rise and fall of space reflect and mediate social relationships in conflict, serving as arenas and instruments of power. In short, ruins, as remnants of abandoned structures, provide traces that can be followed.
II. Taboo Generation
French philosopher Georges Bataille believed that human individuals are fundamentally solitary, independent from others, and inevitably mortal. Each "incoherent life" longs for communication and union with others. This desire may stem from the primal connection with the maternal body, recalling memories of the negative space (chora), and the latent desire to return to the primordial state. Faced with the existential solitude, death, and sex possess the capacity to transcend the gap between individuals, offering a means of communication, communion, and the ability to merge with the other. Paradoxically, death and sex, possessing such communicative capacity, have been two longstanding taboos in human history. People harbor contradictory emotions of fear and fascination towards these aspects.
As mentioned earlier, the distinction between humans and animals lies in the human capacity for work and future planning, unlike animals relying solely on instincts. However, when humans witness the death of others, the corpse becomes a portrayal of the observer's future, even if primitive humans lacked language to express this, they could keenly feel the overwhelming fear that death could render their past efforts futile. This fear compels humans to reject violence and attempt to establish clear boundaries against it. Taboos are generated to prevent violence from disrupting the routine conduct of daily work. The basic object of taboo is violence, with death and sex gradually becoming taboo subjects.
From Bataille's perspective, our violent impulses (such as death and sex) would disrupt the tranquil order required for human consciousness. Taboos can exclude violence. The establishment of consciousness can escape the interference of taboos; without these taboos, consciousness would not exist. We can view taboos as the result of fundamental emotions upon which human nature depends. Taboos transform sex from a reproductive instinct into a more intense desire. Death and sex themselves represent violence that disrupts the world of work, signifying the breakdown of established patterns and the rules of societal life. Thus, the anxiety and pleasure arising from transcending taboos and returning to the primal "sacred moment" is a regression to the original chaotic state.
III. Abjection
Philosopher, psychoanalyst, and sociologist Julia Kristeva proposed in her work "Powers of Horror" that an infant's vomiting response to semiliquid food might be the most primitive expression of abjection. Although the food provided by parents for nourishment is essential for the infant's survival, the act of feeding involves the integration of the infant into the symbolic order established by the "I," representing societal concepts. While the infant rejects the mush, it risks rejecting vital nutrients and facing potential death, expressing the inherent rejection between the self and the symbolic order. Kristeva's deduction occurs on an individual level. In this process, the subject demonstrates the possibility of becoming the "abject body" of the entire symbolic order, possessing ambiguous and contradictory characteristics.
Abject objects often pose a threat to the living, arising from identity, internal societal conflicts, or substances that challenge established order. These objects have a strong "borderline" nature, situated between life and death, cleanliness and filth, sacredness and profanity. Although excluded by the subject and structure, the presence and boundaries defined by these abject bodies are essential for defining the subject and structure in turn. The will of abjection may revive the subject's memories of the negative space, returning to the "undeveloped" state, a time when everything was not clearly defined.
IV. Conclusion
While proposed by different scholars, I personally find strong similarities between Bataille's violent impulses and abject objects, both threatening identity, societal operations, and established order. "Ruins" can be considered a form of abject, encompassing not only abandoned structures but also things we find repulsive, refuse to face, yet still exist in a state of inertia. By studying and carefully examining these phenomena, which are often challenging to articulate in a few words, I aim to present a series of works using various media, unraveling the shameful mysteries that may open up new perspectives and discussions.
For most people, ruins are desolate, terrifying, and dangerous, prompting them to avoid such places. However, for many artists, ruins are not a novel subject. Both domestic and international photographers have been drawn to them. For example, the veteran photographer, Yao Ruizhong, engaged in documentary photography of ruins for over a decade. The abandoned theaters captured by Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre are particularly striking. Why is it that terror, instead of repelling, captivates? The discussion here revolves around the spectral spectrum, shifting from collective consciousness toward individualism.
I. Spatial Politics
Ruins and Civilization Human beings have evolved from their primal, animalistic state due to work and effort to fulfill various needs. Humans have the ability to create something that persists beyond their own life, and collective endeavors can lead to achievements that become immortalized. "The world," in providing a field for human action, facilitates politics and conditions for immortality, as long as the community endures (Hannah Arendt, 1958). Social activities unfold in space, shaping specific places and regions that enable people to experience the world, interact with others, and get to know one another. Space is produced by various social forces and intervenes in shaping human life and social relationships. Places and spaces are crucial clues for understanding societal dynamics. The rise and fall of space reflect and mediate social relationships in conflict, serving as arenas and instruments of power. In short, ruins, as remnants of abandoned structures, provide traces that can be followed.
II. Taboo Generation
French philosopher Georges Bataille believed that human individuals are fundamentally solitary, independent from others, and inevitably mortal. Each "incoherent life" longs for communication and union with others. This desire may stem from the primal connection with the maternal body, recalling memories of the negative space (chora), and the latent desire to return to the primordial state. Faced with the existential solitude, death, and sex possess the capacity to transcend the gap between individuals, offering a means of communication, communion, and the ability to merge with the other. Paradoxically, death and sex, possessing such communicative capacity, have been two longstanding taboos in human history. People harbor contradictory emotions of fear and fascination towards these aspects.
As mentioned earlier, the distinction between humans and animals lies in the human capacity for work and future planning, unlike animals relying solely on instincts. However, when humans witness the death of others, the corpse becomes a portrayal of the observer's future, even if primitive humans lacked language to express this, they could keenly feel the overwhelming fear that death could render their past efforts futile. This fear compels humans to reject violence and attempt to establish clear boundaries against it. Taboos are generated to prevent violence from disrupting the routine conduct of daily work. The basic object of taboo is violence, with death and sex gradually becoming taboo subjects.
From Bataille's perspective, our violent impulses (such as death and sex) would disrupt the tranquil order required for human consciousness. Taboos can exclude violence. The establishment of consciousness can escape the interference of taboos; without these taboos, consciousness would not exist. We can view taboos as the result of fundamental emotions upon which human nature depends. Taboos transform sex from a reproductive instinct into a more intense desire. Death and sex themselves represent violence that disrupts the world of work, signifying the breakdown of established patterns and the rules of societal life. Thus, the anxiety and pleasure arising from transcending taboos and returning to the primal "sacred moment" is a regression to the original chaotic state.
III. Abjection
Philosopher, psychoanalyst, and sociologist Julia Kristeva proposed in her work "Powers of Horror" that an infant's vomiting response to semiliquid food might be the most primitive expression of abjection. Although the food provided by parents for nourishment is essential for the infant's survival, the act of feeding involves the integration of the infant into the symbolic order established by the "I," representing societal concepts. While the infant rejects the mush, it risks rejecting vital nutrients and facing potential death, expressing the inherent rejection between the self and the symbolic order. Kristeva's deduction occurs on an individual level. In this process, the subject demonstrates the possibility of becoming the "abject body" of the entire symbolic order, possessing ambiguous and contradictory characteristics.
Abject objects often pose a threat to the living, arising from identity, internal societal conflicts, or substances that challenge established order. These objects have a strong "borderline" nature, situated between life and death, cleanliness and filth, sacredness and profanity. Although excluded by the subject and structure, the presence and boundaries defined by these abject bodies are essential for defining the subject and structure in turn. The will of abjection may revive the subject's memories of the negative space, returning to the "undeveloped" state, a time when everything was not clearly defined.
IV. Conclusion
While proposed by different scholars, I personally find strong similarities between Bataille's violent impulses and abject objects, both threatening identity, societal operations, and established order. "Ruins" can be considered a form of abject, encompassing not only abandoned structures but also things we find repulsive, refuse to face, yet still exist in a state of inertia. By studying and carefully examining these phenomena, which are often challenging to articulate in a few words, I aim to present a series of works using various media, unraveling the shameful mysteries that may open up new perspectives and discussions.
