In the public video “Intentional communities” from the series Fictions, Alternative Structures, and Mock-Institutions, the concept of ‘intentional communities’–communities designed to encourage high degree of social cohesion and teamwork–sparked an idea. What about living environments that would force social cohesion? Namely, the minimal spaces that represent the housing problem in Hong Kong:
The Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) released a set of top down photos to raise awareness of the current housing problem in Hong Kong, but with the unintentional effect of creating what could be called art. These housings seem capable of forcing very intimate social cohesion, or forcing solitude to those living alone–there is no middle ground.
These photos capture so much life, so much struggle, compromise, and resilience. It begs the question: Can the inhabitants ever think of their living spaces as art?
Whether or not they do, it raises a question about the threshold of art–when is a room art, and when is it not?