LOBBY No. 3 seeks to highlight the collapse of normative ideals, discourses, frameworks and aesthetics, by exploring ‘Defiance’ through the eyes of those who sit on either side of the norm’s boundaries, as well as those who walk in-between them. From the mythical battle of David with Goliath to Pink Floyd’s infamous concert in Venice, Defiance sets out to explore the constantly shifting waters of defiance.
“In 1989, Pink Floyd performed a concert at the mouth of Venice’s Grand Canal, quite literally shaking the city to its core. Fans poured into the fragile city in the hundreds of thousands, hanging from lampposts and clambering onto rooftops to see the band play what would become their only Venetian performance. Enter The Seminar Room, where James Taylor-Foster leads a discussion on the interplay between public events and the spaces they occupy.”
“Through a series of essays situated in Venice, Versailles, Mumbai, Tokyo, Montréal, London and Belgrade, The Seminar Room reinforces the notion that the city has “the capacity to act as a ready-made, historically-layered stage and set for festive events of all scales to take hold.”
“In Venice, the public campi transform into performance spaces as the Biennale Danza takes to the streets. In Belgrade, the waterfront becomes the frontline as architects clash with foreign developers over the future of a storied quarter. In Mumbai, public spaces and streets are one and the same: spatial elasticity means traffic gridlock can become a playground within the hour. In Tokyo, roads disappear in the wake of pedestrian dominance by those seeking a divine presence. In Montréal, a public square of Rockefeller proportions failed to become a lively spontaneous space as planned, instead serving as a static landscape. In Versailles, visitor choreography inspires frustration, bewilderment and awe as selfie sticks and opulence battle for attention. Together, this clever collection of short essays tells a story on the true influence of planning and people on the life of the city.”
Finn MacLeod, Meaningful Defiance in a Disengaged Culture
