This video is a thoughtful exploration of the concept of uselessness as it relates to architecture. In an attempt to reconsider strong hold that utility has in our understanding of value or worth, both in practice and language this audio-visual presentation imagines what might be lost in a world of only useful things.
It is interesting to consider this in our relation to technology and the creative process. What is the relationship between the creation of an artwork and the inherent utility of technology? Is it interesting to consider how we might develop useless technologies? What value would this have?
Useless Architecture from Ryan Stec on Vimeo.
Tags: technology, useless, utility
Ryan, this is a very rich theme worthy of further pursuit. For some reason, your video recalls a disturbing piece (and photos) of abandoned shopping malls in the US — corporate-owned spaces that were the focus of community life for so many:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/completely-surreal-pictures-of-americas-abandoned-malls
These irony of these spaces is that they epitomized “utility” and “functionality” but now evoke something completely different and, in some sense, “worthless”.