Acts of benevolent vandalism: response

Point-by-point response to Matt's post based on a brilliant conversation we had in the car but failed miserably to record.

I've started looking for urban objects and infrastructures that need to be 'socialized'. What are the points in our environment that isolate and control us? Is this something forceful and political or is it something gentle and subtle - the little things: the systems and structures that remove a little bit of our humanity?

Directly linked to The Anti-social project, about challenging the way our (urban) environment is regulated and constructed, either by state (legal) or by social (unwritten) mechanisms. There's nothing wrong with that at all!

But if your trigger is the bird-box surveillance idea then we have different readings of where that project could go. Your direction takes "benevolence" as the central theme, and the aim is to address the problems with human interaction in urban residential environments. The bird box fits, because it takes a symbol of oppression and dis-ease (perhaps) and turns it into an object of beauty (in function not form) and benefit. Beneficial to birds (and environment) and to us (for looking at birds).

But in my head that project is more about nature, and us allowing for it within urban contexts, than it is about community or human interaction. It is about taking the language of a new 'natural environment' (i.e. lamp posts, bollards, post boxes, electric service boxes etc.) and making space for wildlife within it. We appropriate the current municipal vernacular (JL) so as to camouflage these wildlife amenities appropriately. At the same time, we are putting classic 'natural' forms of ornamentation back onto the urban furniture (JL). It's like living decoration. So to sum up, this direction takes "urban nature" as the central theme, and the aim is to address the problems with human-animal interaction in urban residential environments.

Two mini projects have come to mind- both maybe shit and the wrong sort of thing, but here goes:

First, is the 'Gated Community'... last week I tried to ride the Thames pathway, it's a beautiful ride that gives you a new sectional view of London, except for the fact I had to steer off course to avoid the dreaded Gated Community. How can we design things to socialize the anti-social? How could we integrate the isolated?

Next is my Lost Winter Garments project... It's a stupid thing that I do, but the thing I like best is the invisible acts of consideration. People place gloves and hats in obvious places to draw peoples attention- the thing to draw out of this is the idea that some people do care- how do we highlight and promote these acts of social consideration?

Well I think "acts of social consideration" is a great idea. The thing is, I'm not very social or considerate so I may not be of much use.

The upshot of all of this is that I don't think any of the thoughts here are shit, but with regard to the benevolent vandalism conversation we all had last Tuesday in the studio, they are in a different direction than I was thinking.