Virtual Urban


ANN- MARIE McMANUS

Now, as for virtual urban, here's some text (and the pages that made me write it!) It's all zone one, I haven't had a look at zone 2 yet!


The Irish Independent newspaper is moving from the centre of town to a purpose-built building on a motorway surrounding the city soon. The new building is transparent, with the printing presses visible as you drive past. It reminds me of cross sections, its contents there for anyone to see. That and hermit crabs, abandoning their old shells and moving into new ones.
http://www.arthouse.ie/exhibitions/vu/p4.htm

In the middle of Canberra is a large artificial lake, Lake Burley-Griffin, named after the architect who originally planned the town. An old hospital on one of the peninsulas was closed down several years ago, and the ACT government decided to demolish it. Thousands of people came to watch, from the lakeshore and from boats on the lake. But the demolition literally misfired - instead of imploding, the building exploded. One girl was killed, several people injured. It almost seemed as though the hospital was trying to say something.
http://www.arthouse.ie/exhibitions/vu/p7.htm

I like getting lost. I don't feel I know a place until I get lost there. I feel there are secrets hidden there, things I don't understand. I think I find them when I get lost!
http://www.arthouse.ie/exhibitions/vu/p18.htm

New buildings, surrounded by scaffolding and cranes, make me think of strange synthetic lobsters. Or crabs. Some sort of creature with a hard exoskeleton, recreating itself block by block, instead of growing organically.
http://www.arthouse.ie/exhibitions/vu/p35.htm

This seems like a road out of town, rather than a road into town. Maybe it's the hill, maybe it's the white band of snow (?), but I want to know what's there rather than in the town.
http://www.arthouse.ie/exhibitions/vu/p47.htm

I went to Florence for the first time this year, and wondered what it must be like to be an artist working there. Would you be stifled by all that is there, worried about fitting in with it? Or maybe you'd react strongly against the city and its art, trying to ignore it. Either way, I think the city wins. Maybe we should knock down more.
http://www.arthouse.ie/exhibitions/vu/p54.htm

Are traffic cones are placed by giant beings, playing chess or go?
http://www.arthouse.ie/exhibitions/vu/p72.htm