Unavoidably Dark Practices

to be done between 16. - 22.11.

Spatial urban practices are about our usage of urban space that consume and use, also possibly abuse the codified urban space in some ways. And that manages to produce the space, to change it - not necessarily changing its physical elements, but creating routes and workarounds.

The assignment can be done in groups. If you cannot find a group, you can also do this by yourselves.

1. Choose an urban spatial practice somehow linked to darkness. You can think of things you do yourself, practices you know - or you can also first choose a location and then go there and observe and identify a practice going on in the space.

2. Go to a chosen urban space and do sc. participant observation: observation by being present in the space. Possibly trying out the practice yourself.

3. Think how you will document your observations. Consider using drawings as an option, or written notes. Of course it is also possible to take photos or videos. Drawings, notes, photos, videos do not need to look good or artistic, they should just help you document and map the practice.

4. I’m using here the term “mapping the practice” - you could take this kind of literally: putting the practice on a map. What kind of map? How to put it there? Where it happens? How it changes the space? What kind of route it makes? Etc.

5. You could also think of the metaphors dealing with language: what is the practice saying? Can you think of some linguistic term to use for it - is it poetry? A question mark or an exclamation mark? Silence?

6. When thinking about reporting the practice you of course simply describe what it is. In addition think of how it affects the space, how does it make use/abuse of the space?