RESEARCH ON THE CITY
The Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning hosted a month long installation featuring a Faculty Research pilot project called “Research on the City.” Exhibited in the school’s off-campus studio space, Liberty Lofts, the gallery was composed of work done by faculty from a range of disciplines with a focus on the city of Detroit. The space was divided into five sections, each devoted to the large scale expositions by one of the following titles: A Dozen Playgrounds, Atlas of Love and Hate: Detroit Geographies, Geographies of Trash, Imaging Detroit, and Re:Tool-kit for Detroit. The majority of the work was digital, either model diagrams or audio/video soundbites. It was also interactive, however, with the possibility of climbing onto the pieces to get a better look. Though the display was artistic, it was very architectural. After having worked in an architecture studio this summer, I recognized the aesthetic as very niche. It was almost inaccessible to the average eye, even though faculty influences came from the School of Education, School of Natural Resources and Environment, School of Art and Design, Department of French, and the School of Information.
Something far more inviting to the non-architect passer-by was arranged on a table in the middle of the room: an extensive library of books about Detroit. The collection included both published works as well as bound student publications . I enjoyed skimming through past student archives and seeing what peers had produced in past years related to this currently hot topic. One of my favorite books was called Detroit: Then and Now. It featured side-by-side stills of famous sites in Detroit, one in the early part of the century and one in the present day. The difference was shocking. I flipped page after page until I realized I had read the whole book and the gallery was closing.
Speaking of, the entire exhibit finishes this Sunday December 16th, so check it out this weekend! Liberty Research Annex, 305 W. Liberty Street, Friday- Sunday 2pm-7pm.
