The Ethical You
Hong Kong, New York, Beijing and Hangzhou
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When one looks at the image of an architect, this is often portrayed as a photographic depiction of success documented in front of their masterpiece built against a clear blue sky. Often, you couldn’t find the architect credited to the design. The absence is a blurry mist to the making of architecture, The Ethical You serves to unveil the role of architects through the values they uphold.
Taking Tao Ho as a sample architect, the journey from his earlier migratory life, education to being the apprentice of Walter Gropius, starting his practice and the fall of his career are extracted as values. Sample architects’ values are elaborated in relation to the attitudes present in practices of presently active architects, forging an archive for architect ethics in Hong Kong.
Values are interpreted into ethical shapes presented as foam blocks kits of parts. Visitors are instructed to assemble the shapes into building humanoid forms, or using the augmented reality app that directs one to construct their bespoke design of an architect. Meanings encoded within the shapes and humanoids are explained through words and architect personality analysis to unveil the process of becoming a good architect.
Context:
As part of Hong Kong Institute of Architect (HKIA) travelling exhibition named “M3: Beyond Territories - Made. Make. Making” displaying in Beijing, Hangzhou, Hong Kong and New York, the curatorial team encourages the project to pay tribute to the predecessor architects of Hong Kong.
Concept:
Instead of the banal way of blindly praising the outcome of the architectural profession through buildings and architecture, what if we look at the contributors behind these megaliths. What does it take to become an architect, and what good and bad attitudes can lead to the formation and presence of architecture in our city.
Process:
Based on a notable Hong Kong architect, Tao Ho, the project looked into the career path of the sample architect from being an apprentice to setting up his own practice and the fallacy of it. These incidents in Tao’s career are interpreted as attitudes and values in the form of “Ethical Shapes”.
Production:
A library of “Ethical Shapes” representing good and bad attitudes of architects create the basis of the art installation, these shapes are cutted from reconstituted foams resulting in extrusions that mimic the solidity of stones from afar. Visitors can scan the hidden values behind each of the shapes through the Augmented Reality app, and build their imagined architect in the form of humanoids. The app then provides visitors an architect analysis, similar to a horoscopic or personality test, simulating how the architect assembled is.
Experience:
Walkthrough video of the designed Augmented Reality (AR) app, where shapes representing different attitudes of architects can be learnt and assembled to create one architect of yours. The constructed architect is later assessed as a good or bad architect, and what is the personality of the architect and how can she be an ethical version of you.
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Client:
Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA)
Occasion:
HKIA Architecture Exhibitions "M3: Beyond Territories - Made. Make. Making”
Curation:
Roger Wu, Bernard Lim, Stanley Siu
Typology:
Installation, Interactive
Status:
Completion
Location:
Hong Kong, New York, Beijing and Hangzhou
Year:
2022
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Project Team:
Anthony Ko
Linus Cheng
Leo Chiu (App Development)
Fabrication:
Immortal Design Solution
Photography:
Herman Chan Ho Wang
Videography:
Anthony Ko
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