Keith L. Brown

Culture conflict and the Phenomena of Appropriated Space: Thesis introduction A thesis that studied four roles the artist typically plays in societal conflict - and asks, how can this be adapted into the architectural arena, specifically for scenarios of conflict regarding space? The roles of Instigator, Saboteur, Mediator and Documenter were explored. Each series of the following slides are introduced with precursor investigations, which were done to gain an understanding of each role. Experiments were documented, looted and reused as material for final installations.

Pre-instigator: The Red Rope Project The idea was to create a conflict by having one party secretly appropriate and infringe on the space of another. I'd do this several times until the victimized party was driven to respond. Refractions: Culture, conflict, appropriation, instigation

Pre-instigator: The Red Rope Project I invited the art students (outdoor installation studio) to appropriate the thesis architectural studio by using it as a space to do their artistic installations. The art students viewed the architecture students as being too competitive. So the concept they developed for their installation was to tie everything together. Moving one object would displace another. They also took the architecture students garbage and hung it as a reminder to practice the sustainable values we so often preached.

Pre-instigator: The Red Rope Project Scenes from one of five installations of the Red rope project.

The role: Instigator - in•sti•gate verb 1. to urge, provoke, or incite to some action or course: to urge on to some drastic or inadvisable action The instigator is one who attempts to heighten the conflict, the antagonizer.

The site - The first task was to find an active conflict in the city. I was then challenged to insert myself - so that I can begin to play the four roles. The chosen conflict: An eminent domain battle in Norwood, Ohio. A 2005 U.S. Supreme court ruling on the use of eminent domain sparked legal battles across the country. Listen to the recorded oral arguments here: http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2004/2004_04_108

The conflict - NORWOOD - The court ruled in favor of three property owners fighting to prevent Norwood from taking their land by eminent domain and turning it over to the developers. The Rookwood Exchange can't be built with the holdouts' three houses there. Many people who live near the site are tired of looking at the desolate piece of land surrounded by a chain-link fence. "I just hope whatever goes in there isn't too garish," says Larry Holcomb, who lives near the site. (Exerts: The Cincinnati Enquirer)

SMD-I: The proposal As the instigator, the proposal is used as an opportunity to antagonize and critique the state of affairs. This exaggerated mixed use development is intended to provoke and heighten the conflict, thus re-engaging the surrounding community with the site. Refractions: Culture, conflict, appropriation, instigation, sabotage, propaganda, architectural proposal as commentary

SMD-I: The Installation A drive by photo taken of the actual installation installed at the Norwood Site.

Pre-Saboteur: An invitation for an Underground Studio (10 invites, 7 participants) - "I'd love if you'd participate in a design project with me. There are no restraints. I'd like to have a conversation but I don’t want to speak verbally. Hers the idea: I'll put something on your desk and you'd respond to it, anyway you see fit. No rules. Give it back and I’ll react. The idea is to create actions and responses, a collaborative collage. Take as much time as you want. Whenever you want to stop, shoot me an email saying DONE. No questions asked. Hope the idea intrigues you". Keith

Pre-Saboteur: Land Installaboration This experiment is an attempt to explore another condition of conflict and appropriated space. When two social groups struggle for a common space, often the tension is what creates something new. I wanted to simulate this phenomena in the process of making the installaborations. Installaboration: v. 1. installation+collaboration An Installaboration with Nicole Cosbitt centered around the word, 'Land'. 4 exchanges

Pre-Saboteur: Consumer Installaboration The underground studio is an exploration in the role of the saboteur. Obstructions of the normal operations are at play by having a secret studio active within the normal studio. Installaboration: v. 1. installation+collaboration An Installaboration with Tony Schonhardt centered around the word, 'Consumer'. 6 exchanges

Pre-Saboteur: Mediator Installaboration - Installaboration: v. 1. installation+collaboration An Installaboration with Holly Kuhn centered around the word, 'Mediator'. 5 exchanges Refractions: Sign and symbolism, collaboration, appropriation, conflict aesthetics, collage

An Installaboration with Holly Kuhn centered around the word, 'Mediator'. 5 exchanges Refractions: Sign and symbolism, collaboration, appropriation, conflict aesthetics, collage The role: Saboteur - sab•o•tage verb 3. to destroy, damage, or disrupt, esp. by secret means The role of the saboteur is viewed as the obstructer of normal operations. This is another means of response employed by the artist. Rather than provoking, this role suggests that one should analyze and rethink the status quo as a precursor to response. The response is then geared toward reconsidering, rearranging the norm.

MDI-S: The Installation In the tradition of Ray Johnson, I used the postcard as a means to reactivate the conflict. The role of the Saboteur was explored by posing as a concerned neighbor attempting to stop the (SMD-I) fictional proposal. A protest post card was sent though the neighborhood. This call to organize over a fictional proposal was an attempt to create a re-enactment of earlier protests. The site is the set, the neighbors are the actors. Responses were recorded and used for the next installations.

Pre-Mediator: The DIS-M investigations St. Petersburg, Russia spaked my interest between conflict and appropriated space. Due to years of harassment from the KGB, strict curfews, economic problems and high unemployment in a post war Soviet Union, a sub culture called 'Peter' emerged in the early 70's. Peter, short for St. Petersburg was a hidden network of gathering spaces that evolved through out the city in response to social spatial conflicts. For many these secret nooks became the unofficial city within the city.

Pre-Mediator: DIS - M (2) This sketch was an early investigation in reclaiming and appropriating the fence surrounding the eminent domain site (see slides I for site and M for the DIS-M proposal). The Concept: Take pieces of the demolished homes and reassemble them to create the new fence around the site. It would act as a memorial for the demolished neighborhood as well as an antagonizer for its neighbors. A reminder of what happens if we don’t stay engaged with the shaping of our communities.

Pre-Mediator: DIS - M (2) A House assemblage study model investigating the proposal for the DIS-M project. Eventually I shied away from this scheme in favor of developing an expression of appropriation associated with 'Peter' culture. However, this is a scheme that I'd continue to investigate as a post graduate. Refractions: Consumer culture, collage, appropriation, boundary, memorial

The concept The final installation appropriates the map of the Norwood neighborhood in an attempt to communicate the conflict that occurred. This becomes the architectonic basis for the installation. The previous installations would also come together as a part of this one. The faux proposal would be displayed in side while the film would be projected onto the skin. Light from the film would penetrate portions of the installation to reveal secrets about the conflict and secret gathering places.

The role: Mediator - me•di•a•tor verb 1. to intervene (between parties or in a dispute) in order to bring about agreement 5. to be in a middle or intermediate position

Kit of parts study A sketch investigating the different layers for construction of the DIS-M installation, which would form a new fence around the site.

The construction document - Dimensioned sketch used to build the DIS-M installation.

DIS-M: The Installation - Image of the DIS-M installation. A portion of the fence was built for the final presentation.

Mediator: DIS-M - The DIS-M proposal attempts to blur boundaries by being multiple things simultaneously. A neighborhood map connected to the past (by illustrating information about the eminent domain conflict) and a projection of the future by revealing secret gathering places. It is also the new boundary around the site (replacing the existing fence) which acts as a memorial to the dead neighborhood and its an antagonizer for the remaining neighbors. Refractions: Boundary, conflict, consumption, projection

DISM the film Once again, this installation simultaneously explores multiple roles. The film was an attempt at putting myself in the middle by meeting and interviewing the parties involved in the conflict (mediator, documenter). Many interviews were conducted and collaged to explain the conflict that occurred. After completion, the film was sent to each party in order to share their perspective with one another while simultaneously seeing themselves participate with a unified narrative voice. (See Perpetual set)

Pre-Documenter: The documenstallation investigations - Documenstallation: v. 1. Document+Installation The final challenge would be the most difficult, producing the thesis document. To stay in tune with the thesis it had the dual roles of describing the topic as well as being another example of it, an installation of the thesis. Above is a pre thesis document I produced that was very influential. It explored material, transparency and self insertion.

Pre-Documenter: The documenstallation investigations Methods and Mediums: AutoCAD, illustrator, Photoshop, sketch up, final cut pro, sound editing, word, screen snipping, scanning, sketching, hand drafting, collage making, rendering, researching, hand cam recording, interviewing, cold calling, budgeting, documenting, planning, podcasting....not sleeping

Pre-Documenter: The documenstallation investigations Throughout the thesis collage was used as the way to express anything presented. Collage is an act of appropriation, creating tension and conflict. By taking images (and objects) out of their original context and using it for something it wasn't intended for, the act of appropriating is in constant play.

The role: Documenter - doc•u•ment noun 2. any written item, as a book, article, or letter, especially of a factual or informative nature. 7. to support by documentary evidence: to document a case.

An excerpt from: ISM-D the document Dissociative identity disorder (DID, also known as multiple personality disorder in the ICD-10[1]) is a psychiatric diagnosis whose essential feature, is the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states...that recurrently take control of behavior." A 150 page fully illustrated completely collaged post graduate manuscript. See set: CCPAS the 5th approximation Refractions: Consumer culture, celebrity culture, Genre de vies, appropriation, collage, eminent domain