We are all interconnected by the beauty of storytelling. We are touched by seeing a dog walking with one of his legs being hurt. We stop when a child falls when taking a couple of cautious steps forward. And we share these memories that we experienced. Either it being a success or something hurtful, we develop an understanding by listening to each other. We can put ourselves into the shows of the other person.
Writing your own narrative is one of the key element to design. It does not have to be about an alienated concept where the designer becomes the unclear, undiscovered and never understood artist. In the meanwhile, the customer has no idea what is happening with his requests. Developing a story to that concept. Wrapping it into a narrative that allows us to want to step inside and explore whatever the design is. We are engaged to a certain place when we know that at one point Iulius Caesar walked there. We want to try the type of shoes on that Michael Jordan won his NBA final in. We want to be part of this narrative and share it with other people. Without the design having a narrative, it will not engage us. Us humans.
Poetic explorations had spatial implications since the very beginning of the times when rhythmical writings have started to emerge. Gaston Bachelord describes these as memories which makes us revisit the places where we once belonged to. These moments of our lives are translated into a carefully composed words of a poet where the space becomes more than a scene, an actor. That not only embodies its surroundings but becomes their maker and user at the same time.
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Play to see expanding and exploring the restrictive nature of visual impairment, is a project composed of the spatial imagery emerged from the narrative of the imagination, memory of one becoming blind during his childhood. Joining the story of someone with his daydreaming allowed for contextualisation. Besides people who he would be happy to share memories with, activities to explore; the space emerged around him.
Guests starting to arrive in the place,
Not surprising as the beautiful smell spreads like a intangible display,
There is an increase in warmth of the space:
‘Please Stay
To keep us moving even more with ease.’
Coming from the chef straight away
To make them part of this lovely evening’s grace.
Why would they leave anyway.
As the next chef Jamie Oliver is in chase?
A lovely ballet
Of cookers to fease
That celebration of a meal that is in portrait,
Cooking that forms without taking a taste.
A bottle of chardonnay,
Is in the hands of the eight-year old in chase,
Take all the guests’ breath away,
Without even a slight glance on the surface
Where the empty glasses currently stay,
Fills them equally to share
And asking if the amount is okay.
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Narrative building is about the memory of spatial imagery. Spatial imagery is about exploring poetic imagery. Poetic exploration is about building narrative.