The Floating Rhizome Art-Centre
Margaret Atwood, a famous Canadian poet, novelist, and teacher of the MasterClass program, mentioned in her MasterClass introduction video, “Human beings are creative storytelling beings. They make art because that is what human beings do (Atwood, 2018). Even as early as the Upper Paleolithic period (40,000 – 14,000 BCE), the caveman started the cave painting to engrave and expression their life activities (Clottes, 2020). In Oxford dictionary, art is defined as “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.” Hence art motivates people to turn thoughts into actions.
One of the significant challenges today is that people often feel not engaged by others’ problems and in term of global issues like climate change, even when one could easily do something to support. People do not feel encouraged to become part of a global community, part of a larger ‘WE’. Most of the time, granting people access to information only leaves them feeling disconnected, overwhelmed, discouraging, and poised for action. This is when art can make a change. Art does not demonstrate to people what to do, yet engaging with a good work of art can connect one to their senses, body, and mind. It can make the world touched. Furthermore, this heartened feeling may spur thinking, engagement, and even action.
“Art helps us identify with one another and expands our notion of we – from the local to the global (Olafur Eliasson, Danish Artist).”
The studio’s objective is to design a community facility that encourages a livable and engaging public space to serve Sungai Merah community and the whole of Sibu. One of the significant site issues is lacking of public spaces. Therefore, it would be most relevant to propose an art centre since the power of art would bring people together. “In Sibu, it is not an easy job in doing cultural and artistic work; moreover, some people even mention Sibu is a desert of culture and art.” according to Datuk Dr Soon Choon Teck’s statement in SeeHua Online database on Nov 8, 2020. Besides, Sibu has no proper space for artists to exhibit their artwork or, for some of their performance. Since 2003, the Borneo Cultural Festival is held annually by Sibu Municipal Council (SMC). It is the largest event in Sibu that celebrates the diverse cultural background of Sibu community. In the BCF, the artist comes together to showcase plenty of mural paintings comprises of the various concept such as graffiti, realistic in different scales within the town area. Sibu Street Art Festival 2019 is the largest art festival in Sarawak. With the theme “Fascinating Sarawak”, there was plenty of local artists has been invited to present their creative idea. Nevertheless, this is an avenue to showcase the uniqueness of different arts”.
As the research question to this proposal is, “How can architecture energise a disjointed public space?” According to Lord Browne, chairman of the Tate Modern, London, he mentioned in the Architectural Review: “it is great public spaces that build great cities because those are where people come together.” With all the references above as the principle, the Center of Art’s proposal will be a public place for artists who are keen to showcase their precious artworks and educate art lover to create art. It is also a focal point for the Sungai Merah and Sibu community to get together for the unique artworks.
Architecture is the largest art-piece on earth that provides lots of meaningful thoughts and physical needs—the combination of art and science. Referring to Nigel Coates: “Narration shapes and simplifies events into a sequence that can stimulate the imagination, and with its understanding comes the possibility of the story being told - verbally, pictorially or spatially (Coates, 2012).” In architecture, narrative prioritises users’ experiences and the need to shape them into stories. The design concept is based on ‘Rhizome’; it describes things’ relations and connectivity. As reflected on the research question is to utilised architecture to connect the disjointed public space. Due to this issue, a rhizome forms assemblages, which decided the art centre to locate in the town’s most active area, which is above the most prominent landmark of Sungai Merah. It is also the starting point of the town, The Red River. The art community centre is about passion, socialisation and making a heart to Sungai Merah but not in a passive way, not in an object that people would look at and take a photograph of and move on but someplace that genuinely would bring people together. The building starts its narrative from the town centre, Wong Nai Siong Square, which is also the town’s origin. Due to the elevated floor plan, the building has a minimum footprint to the site context. The main staircase/lift links to the gathering & viewing platform before entering the art centre. The viewing platform is to display the scenery of the town. The building’s main spaces are formed from a sequence of different arts through the linear layout, and the art centre provides education classes and artist workshop on the upper floor level. Those artists from out of Sibu town are encouraged to stay at the artist residence to be the art centre anchor artist as they produce and exhibit their artwork. By the visitor moves through the different art spaces, it would be like storytelling in different chapters. The building comes to the finale with an auditorium for art performances and sharing sessions. It also serves as an art performance training/rehearsal purpose on renting basis. The building’s main body with lightweight framing structures acts as the organic centrepiece with its branches (vertical access) reach out to the Sungai Merah Town, just like the rhizome that assemblages and connectivity. Moreover, represent art that would cultivate within the community; architecture brings people together with their narration to energise the disjointed public spaces.
Architecture is the enduring attraction of narrative because it offers a way of engaging with the way a city feels and works. Rather than reducing architecture to a mere style or an overt emphasis on technology, it foregrounds hows building are experienced. Just like engaging with art is not merely an isolated event. The arts and culture represent one of the few areas in society where people can come together to share an experience even if they see the world in radically different ways. The important thing is not about accepting the sharing experience but considering worthwhile sharing an experience at all. In art and other forms of cultural expression, disagreement is accepted and embraced as an essential ingredient.
References:
Atwood, M. (2018). Margaret Atwood Teaches Creative Writing. MasterClass. Retrieved from https://www.masterclass.com/classes/margaret-atwood-teaches-creative-writing/chapters/introduction-82781650-c217-45f4-900d-d3425e74b760#
Clottes, J. (2020). Cave art. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/art/cave-painting.
Coates, N. (2012). Narrative Architecture. UK: John Wiley & Son Ltd.
