SONGLINE – IDEA: LEARN . THINGS THAT (DON'T) HAPPEN AGAIN

The idea of progress has been intertwined, since the 19th century, to the quest of the american colonizers towards the west. The coincidence of that movement, with an astounding economical growth and technological development, has made possible the perception of progress as a linear, one-way path.

In the field of architecture, progress has been made visible through the replacement of ancient building techniques by others that make use of industrially transformed materials, such as reinforced concrete, plastics or steel, and which have made possible the high-rise sprawl.

The U turn, so to speak, and the resulting impact against the WTC on September 11, of two airplanes on their way to the west, symbolically attacked the linear narrative behind the idea of progress. The present demonstration of the fragilities of the capitalist model, as well as the expectation brought about by the change in the US presidency, makes it interesting to engage in a critical westward trip.

The voyage that we propose is related to an existing commitment that the office Plano B has in May, to coordinate a rammed earth workshop in El Rito, New Mexico. To that workshop we propose to add another 5 along a defined (but not definitive) route: NY, Chicago, Washington, Auburn, El Rito, and San Francisco.

At each workshop words from a secret sentence will be constructed taken from the book "Pessimism: Philosophy, Ethic, Spirit" by Joshua Foa Dienstag. The sentence we have chosen to build, proposes an alternative perception of the idea of progress. Without denying that the concept of progress is intrinsic to a technology driven civilization, the sentence appeals nevertheless for a reduction in the expectation that progress might provide hope for an imperfect, biological and finite species.

The words will be constructed with the materials, the techniques and the volunteers available at each time. The words will be recorded in some medium, posted on an internet blog in their correct relative position in the sentence, but in the random sequence in which they are produced.

This is the blog where the disclosure of the sentence will take place.

LEARN . THINGS THAT (DON'T) HAPPEN AGAIN

After our previous failure at writing LEARN we tried again. This time was in Abiquiu Lake, close to El Rito. The idea was to get the word sank into the lake, suspended in the water, while maintaining its shape. The cardboard with which we cut the letters didn't hold that well the contact with water and was totally destroyed after just some second in the lake.

Here are some images of the "technical" procedures and the failed attempt to transport the word into the lake:

So, after our two previous failures at writing LEARN ... we tried again - that's what learning is all about, right? This time was in one of the islands in Abiquiu Lake, using stones. Ok, it wasn't that creative but we wanted to get the thing done! And a lot of effort (and even pain) was put into the word as the sand in the island was terribly hot from the sun.

So if there's a lesson to be learn from the construction of the word it may well be: why take so much time and effort learning something, when ignorance is immediate? (this is a lesson and a quote by memory from Calvin & Hobbes).