WINNIE TAM

Overview of the layer drawing:

accommodation blocks:

here are the pictures from the story board enlarged:

the foxconn morning exercise routine-

sketch of the main entrance (fake) -

sketch of the main entrance (real) -

apart from the story board, also had been testing out the model:

overview of the billboard as the cover layer. 

LHS: buildings all the same height

RHS: building as various height (still need the billboard layer)

from the direction of the satellite:

it is only covering the building at the moment, will later need to work out ways to join the cover layer between building

zoom in of the billboard structure:

(billboard is too thick at the moment, and still need to attach an image on top of them, will work on that tonight)

i'm building the base of the model at the moment:

now working on the floor plan of the accommodation blocks:

also collecting google clips for leisure areas:

a try of the golf-course wallpaper on Foxconn map:

I have been tracing the position of the factory on google map, both of the plan and roof plan, hoping to understand more about the google view. These will be the different layers of the thick drawing... more layers to come

also looking into the routine of the Foxconn workers, which would hopefully help to identify different buildings on the site-plan

blue blocks = factories

red arrow    = main street on the site

triangle       = Foxconn main entrance

Will be making changes to the site plan, try to rationalise it, but don't know how just yet

also looking into the components that makes an iPhone, trying to figure out the iPhone assemble process in Foxconn. 

I'm also thinking about changing the direction slightly. Maybe not to focus on propaganda but more on uniform:

- the persuasive uniform (the posters, balconies etc)

- the mass produced uniform (foxconn production & Gursky)

-> maybe I can then talk about the Lost of Identity under the uniform?

    so that will be looking at how there is no individual, all decisions are make due to the neighbour's influence. That can work upon a personal level (how the suicide is one following the other at foxconn); in the chain of production; hopefulling arriving at a city scale at the end.

1. Renmin Ribao - probably most recognisable chinese newspaper who speaks more on the Chinese government's behave.

2. The Independent - claim to be free of bias from any political parties

since the information I have found do split into different views. 

more of the argument:

The mechanism / The components of the wall:

-balconies  --> the permanent room

-posters --> the transient room

-piazza (space in front of it) ---> transient? (wall gets thicker, piazza gets smaller)

-the ground / floor (collector of unsuccessful propaganda)

posters as balconies

the posters in 3d, as a cage/box, with the person inside shouting out the propaganda --> a living propaganda wall with living speakers.

• if the balconies speaker do not agree with each other, they start destroying each others' balconies until they fall --> overlap of posters get cancelled out. 
• The destroyed balconies/propaganda fell and form the floor/ stairs (i.e. separation between the wall and the mass) 
• however, if they do agree with each other, the balconies both get stronger through each others' support and might merge into a bigger balcony
• Transient : the ground surface and the balconies on the surface
• Permanent : the balconies that are buried by other propaganda balconies
• the ground -> accumulating destroyed propaganda, a constantly changing landscape.

1. build-up of the propaganda wall from the front facade of Casa del Fascio.

2.expand of the facade, the propaganda wall enclose the people and they start digging into the facade, only to find that the other side is the exact same world.

3. When digging at the section where the facade of Casa del Fascio was embedded, the secrete space is found where it is free of being controlled.

4. Habiting the secret space, and branching out at the top of the propaganda wall, the one who was controlled now found the way to control. 

to be continued

as I started writing about the room, I thought it might be good to write it as if my own experience, maybe to write it in a form of a diary, documenting the feeling as it progresses.

The Room

the room under control

Being surrounded by the propaganda, since we didn't manage to escape before being enclosed by the propaganda wall are trapped inside. The wall is so tall, we can hardly see its top, we can hear voices coming out from the wall, and it is constantly changing. The giant images and messages on the wall makes our eyes dizzy, but there is no escape from seeing them, they are everywhere, we feel like we are being watched.

The constant growing of the propaganda wall means that there will eventually be no space for us. To find a way out, we must start digging into the wall to the other side of the world where there will be freedom.

Actions taken place in different part of the wall. When we manage to dig through to the other side of the wall, the other people from the other side of the wall were trying doing the same thing! 

Those like us who would not give up keep trying to dig through the wall at different place, there must be a way out!

Finally! We see concrete beneath the propaganda posters! It is a concrete frame. There is space for us, the concrete frame hollow out a chunk of the propaganda wall, all the way up to the top. 

the room that is in control

Occupying the facade of Case del Fascio, we realised that there will never be enough space for all the people in the room, we have to keep this space out of other people's reach, remain it as a secret room. As days go by, we started to occupy the upper floors, making ladders to reach the higher levels.

Some how we started to dig into the wall again, branching out from one of the balcony openings of the facade, we built a walkway leading up to an opening toward 'the room', where we used to be before we found this secret room. We made sure we would dig out such an angle that people can't see the opening from the ground. 

Up there, we can produce our very own propaganda, promote our ideas to people in the room. due to the height, our voice now can be heard, our propaganda can be seen. 

- people's own perception / understanding

- the nature of the propaganda wall itself

type 1) room surrounded by the propaganda wall

suffocating

being controlled

being watched

type 2) room within the propaganda wall

escaped from being watched

a part of the wall / uniform

but not being controlled by it

*the wall is also the 'uniform' which place a heavy influence on what it is surrounded. 

  the idea of the uniform is that: 

a) it is part of a larger organisation

b) the appearance being more important than the substance

constrain: how people's action are being controlled/ watched/ monopolised.

escape:     due to the constrain and seeking for places to hide.

The room

A place to monitor, everything is positioned against the wall and the centre, where you located yourself is left empty.

The walls being the barrier to the outside world, as well as an act of propaganda, telling you what is right/ wrong, defining your limit. 

The windows being the eyes through which your activities are being observed. I also image the window as the balcony, monitoring your actions.

The combination of the windows and the wall at first might makes you feel like the centre of focus, but then it makes you feel not only claustrophobic but also makes you scream for someplace to hide. Since the room itself is empty, you can only find a hiding space/ a blind spot within the wall. Escaping into the wall.

The universe

One being lost in a city. Once escaped out of the room, the mountains of skyscrapers are now the wall that constrain you. There are many layers of the wall, you are able the walk between the walls, you can never quite work out if you are approaching in or out. Balconies/ windows are the eyes observing your movement. It reminds me very much the feel of being unsafe in the city and wanting to rush back to my room for some place to hide, which brings you back to the room.

still not sure how they will apply to the layout of the poster wall yet though...