A Collective Psychogeographic Mapping of Krabbesholm
The map as an experiential device
Krabbesholm Højskole (2020)
In this workshop, Architecture Team 2 has worked on creating a large Psychogeographic map of Krabbesholm. This has been done based on and inspired by the Situationists. The Situationists were proponents of a freedom-oriented, left-wing critique of society in the 1950s and 60s. Much of their criticism was rooted in the idea that capital had gained almost complete dominance over Western culture, and that capitalism had taken the form of total commodity fetishism. The result was a "society of the spectacle" where people were reduced to spectators without the ability to intervene and change their own reality.
An early project that the Situationists were dedicated to was called "dérive," which can be translated as "drifting" in the urban landscape to observe how different urban environments affect moods. The idea was to let go of deliberate processes and allow for playful and constructive behavior. During these walks, people would talk to each other about how they experienced different things, and this also became a tool for self-analysis. From this, they developed the theory of psychogeography, which is about how physical environments affect us. The Situationists believed that modernist urban planning and architecture only contribute to a society where people become more isolated. The modern city has been reduced to a backdrop for consumption.
This workshop is based on the philosophy and idea of the Psychogeographic map of the Situationists. In other words, a map and mapping are not just about measurable units but are highly subjective interpretations.
We are all different from each other and, therefore, experience the world differently. However, some spatial elements can be experienced similarly and form a common trait - it is this common trait that we have tried to identify.
We have created a psychogeographic map that tells a story about Krabbesholm and replaces the measurable reality with our subjective experience - which, according to the Situationists, is the true reality. Fragments of the school blend with each other and create a dynamic expression.
The workshop has consisted of several acts/parts, which provide the map with collective information that forms the basis for making generalizations about the 'personality traits' that Krabbesholm consists of. Architecture Team 2 has been divided into 10 groups, each of which has drawn movement diagrams, plans, detailed drawings, perspectives, and videos.
As we have added information to the map, it has taken on the character of an archive containing collective information about Krabbesholm.