Living Dioramas: A Stage for Urban Dysfunction

Abstract

Like clay, the urban landscape adapts its shape to those who handle it. Azulejo tiles, despite their foreign origins, are representative of Brazil and its culture. Brazilians were able to adopt the tile yet shift its meaning to suit their own traditions. This is similar to the function of the subway as a network, which acts as a connector between communities and a documentor of its inhabitants. The city changes depending on how the people define it. My artwork follows an equal logic, where found material and detritus become repurposed to fit my spacial logic.