The Prototype as Tool for Transformation — In 2013, Marseille became the cultural capital of Europe. Various artists intervened in the urban space as part of the program «Quarters Creative». As a counterpart to the many downtown projects, this program focussed on the city's margins. The project «The Prototype as Tool for Transformation and Dialog» conciliated by Ruedi Baur for the Civic City Institute speculated on the bottom-up power of a prototype to stimulate a discussion around the heavily fragmented and stigmatized areas of La Viste and Les Aygalades.
Simon Hüsler from Bureau Display* conducted research and co-created the project «Belvédère». A physical place to gather and discuss, situated exactly on the margin between the two separated areas. The location was crucial to the project in two ways — 1. By its mere existence, it built a bridge to an unaccessible area that connects one to the other neighborhood and 2. It offered a privileged view over the area.
A giant 360° map on top of the «Belvédère» rendered visible forgotten gems of the territory and introduced at the same time a utopia of a possible future. By blurring the line between the existent, the possible and the impossible we set the stage to rediscover and reimagine the area.
Simon Hüsler from Bureau Display* conducted research and co-created the project «Belvédère». A physical place to gather and discuss, situated exactly on the margin between the two separated areas. The location was crucial to the project in two ways — 1. By its mere existence, it built a bridge to an unaccessible area that connects one to the other neighborhood and 2. It offered a privileged view over the area.
A giant 360° map on top of the «Belvédère» rendered visible forgotten gems of the territory and introduced at the same time a utopia of a possible future. By blurring the line between the existent, the possible and the impossible we set the stage to rediscover and reimagine the area.
