Había empezado a leer la novela unos días antes. La abandonó por negocios urgentes, volvió a abrirla cuando regresaba en tren a la finca; se dejaba interesar lentamente por la trama, por el dibujo de los personajes. Esa tarde, después de escribir una carta a su apoderado y discutir con el mayordomo una cuestión de aparcerías volvió al libro en la tranquilidad del estudio que miraba hacia el parque de los robles. Arrellanado en su sillón favorito de espaldas a la puerta que lo hubiera molestado como una irritante posibilidad de intrusiones, dejó que su mano izquierda acariciara una y otra vez el terciopelo verde y se puso a leer los últimos capítulos. Su memoria retenía sin esfuerzo los nombres y las imágenes de los protagonistas; la ilusión novelesca lo ganó casi en seguida. Gozaba del placer casi perverso de irse desgajando línea a línea de lo que lo rodeaba, y sentir a la vez que su cabeza descansaba cómodamente en el terciopelo del alto respaldo, que los cigarrillos seguían al alcance de la mano, que más allá de los ventanales danzaba el aire del atardecer bajo los robles. Palabra a palabra, absorbido por la sórdida disyuntiva de los héroes, dejándose ir hacia las imágenes que se concertaban y adquirían color y movimiento, fue testigo del último encuentro en la cabaña del monte.

Primero entraba la mujer, recelosa; ahora llegaba el amante, lastimada la cara por el chicotazo de una rama. Admirablemente restallaba ella la sangre con sus besos, pero él rechazaba las caricias, no había venido para repetir las ceremonias de una pasión secreta, protegida por un mundo de hojas secas y senderos furtivos. El puñal se entibiaba contra su pecho, y debajo latía la libertad agazapada. Un diálogo anhelante corría por las páginas como un arroyo de serpientes, y se sentía que todo estaba decidido desde siempre. Hasta esas caricias que enredaban el cuerpo del amante como queriendo retenerlo y disuadirlo, dibujaban abominablemente la figura de otro cuerpo que era necesario destruir. Nada había sido olvidado: coartadas, azares, posibles errores. A partir de esa hora cada instante tenía su empleo minuciosamente atribuido. El doble repaso despiadado se interrumpía apenas para que una mano acariciara una mejilla. Empezaba a anochecer. Sin mirarse ya, atados rígidamente a la tarea que los esperaba, se separaron en la puerta de la cabaña. Ella debía seguir por la senda que iba al norte. Desde la senda opuesta él se volvió un instante para verla correr con el pelo suelto. Corrió a su vez, parapetándose en los árboles y los setos, hasta distinguir en la bruma malva del crepúsculo la alameda que llevaba a la casa. Los perros no debían ladrar, y no ladraron. El mayordomo no estaría a esa hora, y no estaba. Subió los tres peldaños del porche y entró. Desde la sangre galopando en sus oídos le llegaban las palabras de la mujer: primero una sala azul, después una galería, una escalera alfombrada. En lo alto, dos puertas. Nadie en la primera habitación, nadie en la segunda. La puerta del salón, y entonces el puñal en la mano. la luz de los ventanales, el alto respaldo de un sillón de terciopelo verde, la cabeza del hombre en el sillón leyendo una novela. Author: Julio Cortázar.

The indefinable condition of the things that are happening now and the implacable need of the mass for the NEW may sometimes be defined as emergent-culture, but it is also simply the same phenomena which always companied the human existence: the change, change is not new. But, There is something peculiar and unique about these days, and it’s not about how wonderful things technology is developing —in all, and each epoch the newest technology developments were always astonishing— but about the speed this change is happening. Digital media has developed a speed that have already modified the behavior of human beings reaching a new level of understanding the reality in terms of information/communication and the implications of this easy-reachable knowledge.

The copy-paste culture can be understood in terms of interchange. The possibility of interchange the order and mixing-up all the pieces of almost every intent of communication in a never-ending process. Furthermore, as a process it is never concluded or even started—in some ways—. For ex. In electronic music, the tracks that producers develop are supposed to be used in new compositions and also these newer tracks are expected to be used in future mixes. Going further, some Pro-Djs like Miss Kittin, use re-mixed versions, —mixed by other djs using her original tracks— on her presentations, letting fed and feeding back some kind of communication-experience that no longer belongs to one person, but to the global-community. Also this is the way the WEB2.0 works, a network that encourages collaboration and share of information/communication.

So this culture of the copy/paste is working not on the basis of discovering the gunpowder every day, but in the constant effort of cutting pieces and then pasting-them-together in the most newer and familiar way as possible, because if there is not a recall over the memory then all the mix-up [pasting-phase] loses all sense.

kk.org and SIMPLICITY are two blogs which embraces this kind of copy/pasting culture, looking forward to be as newer as possible—in the posts— but using the same codes and signs to be as simple and close—to readers— as possible…

Many traditional boundaries are blurred through the information-technologies. Several notions like: space and time; the global and the local; the here and now; and national and international identities,… are constantly redefined through the complex, layered surface that emerges from the structure provided by telecommunications. The media technologies are producing this at such fast rate that we’re almost unable to catch up with it. Media is obsessed with speed, to the point that barely ten years ago we were talking of Kilobytes, and now we’re dealing with Terabytes. This speed, and blurred boundaries are developing also a contextualized consciousness about the form—form in the digital age.—

The definition of what senses are, due to the differing understandings of what a sense is, can not be well defined. Nevertheless, can be said that a sense is a faculty to by which out-side stimuli are perceived. This is the nervous system codifying all the information perceived by the so-called senses in electrical-chemical impulses and sends this electrical-chemical information to the brain, which decodifies this information through a process called transduction. In this moment our consciousness —and the whole body — just believes in what the brain is decoding, if there is mixed or missing information (Mental disorder, drugs, etc) our consciousness just understands it as correct and keeps going on. Only in extreme situations the brain decides to shutdown the system and then becomes a faint. Taking advantage of this consciousness-confidence on brain’s decodings is possible to hack the perception bringing up on-will real illusions.

For instance, Let’s take the so-called sense of the sight for this proposal. In order to have information about the depth and of course the location of objects in the surrounding space, sight is a compound of two images which are overlapped by the brain, which in turn gives to our perception just a constructed image with depth information. So what is there and what is not, is more about what the brain decodes as reality than the reality in it-self.

Now, let’s take three interesting matters into this idea of hacking the perception to develop the proposal which in fact is a compound of ideas. First let’s take the example of the immaterial museum developed by AMID, please go to the link or check the Verb Natures Boogazine of ACTAR, second the Materialization of Virtual reality and at last but not a least the Physical materialization of artificial environments.

…:::Virtual Materialization:::…

Virtual Reality is getting more real than ever. It’s not a thing of the future, or only available at a few laboratories. In the digital architecture world, virtual reality is pushing the boundaries of what is space and how we perceive it. Through simulation and immersion, we can feel a sense of actually being within a virtually constructed space.

Videogames are a good example in which we can actually feel for a moment that we are in a specific space, be it a sports stadium or through the streets of the archifamous San Andreas (Grand Theft Auto). In a way, we feel immersed.

One of the most powerful advantages of this is the possibility of not having to construct physically a building, for as long as it is available in a virtual environment, and as long as people can interact with it, the experience is achieved, at least partially. Architecture is moving towards this kind of practice made possible by digital technologies. Nowadays we can explore space and our relation to it without any physical or economic constraints, as long as we have the means to do it.

Virtual reality is changing the ways with which we approach the design and building processes. For example, Arup Acoustics, a company that offers acoustic consulting services since 1980, has deviced the SoundLab. It’s a small room where one can experience the acoustic characteristics of any space, built or unbuilt. With the SoundLab we can have a 3D auralitazion of a space, the equivalent of a 3D visual rendering. The impact of this is seen clearly in the way in which clients and designers now can incorporate these acoustical considerations in the early stages of the process. It reinforces the need for particular shape or material, providing the designer more freedom to experiment with complex geometries and materials. It takes the virtual reality to the next level, it’s the making real of the virtual.

…:::Artificial Materialization (also media interaction):::…

Virtual environments redefine the traditional conception of space references, working with a self referential and elusive presence defined by media interaction.

The interface of complex systems in digital architecture can be explained at three levels: ambiance, story and metaphor.

Ambiance is achieved in an artificial black volume, a non existing space, an artificial organism with a controlled climatic stage. It provides the user with sophisticated communication tools to have a fluid experience and includes the design of navigation systems to facilitate orientation, visual, tactile and auditory sensors, gps, radio antennas, microphones, etc.

The story is usually based on models of perceptions, cognition and behavior of human experience. This structured experience provides the user with the capacity to shape their experiences and spaces in a multi modal interactive environment (touch, movement, sound, light, etc).

Metaphor is the structure of the experiential journey. The metaphoric and conceptual foundation for the creation of virtual environments is usually based on the relationship man-physical object environment. The methodology of design interface using virtual symbolic images usually represents recognizable functional, representative and symbolic environments.

The virtual systems of creating artificial ambiances require a deep understanding of the invisible architectural experiences available to be constructed in the realm of fantasy. The creation of unpredictable impermanent architecture using digital technology reformulates the complex systems of perception to be explored in human experience.

..:::Proposal:::…

Imagine that when the user goes into the building —which can no longer be called building, let’s call it the Virtual-Artificial-Computer Hybrid. VACH from now on— The user gets a pair of glasses and a patch connected to the VACH,—the immaterial building project only proposes the patch connection— so the VACH and the user are connected interchanging information of location, temperature, heartbeats, what is the user watching, the height of the user, who is near the user, mini-GPS, etc. ,—much more further will be the implant of a micro-chip directly to the brain and connect this brain with the city not just with a single VACH—

Now, coordinated by the VACH the user receives on one eye the actual artificial environment while the other eye receives the virtual reality; this will become in a compound image of a real-virtual, artificial-hypernatural, reality. So the VACH will be allowed to give extra information of the reality, and also the artificial environment will be allowed to be incomplete—in a way— because the VACH will found the way to complete the perception-reality of the user using a combination of the real and the un-real. The boundaries between the real and the virtual will be so blured that the (re)materialization of the architecture will be a reject of the materializacion to acomplish a compound between the Virtuality with the Reality. Finally the VACH will ask the user…”(to) show you the world in my eyes”

[GO TO:Maite Bravo blog][GO TO:Javier Raya blog][GO TO:Luis Odiaga blog]

ἐὰν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαλῶ καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, γέγονα χαλκὸς ἠχῶν ἢ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον. καὶ ἐὰν ἔχω προφητείαν καὶ εἰδῶ τὰ μυστήρια πάντα καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γνῶσιν, καὶ ἐὰν ἔχω πᾶσαν τὴν πίστιν ὥστε ὄρη μεθιστάναι, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐθέν εἰμι. κἂν ψωμίσω πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντά μου, καὶ ἐὰν παραδῶ τὸ σῶμά μου ἵνα καυχήσωμαι, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦμαι. ἡ ἀγάπη μακροθυμεῖ, χρηστεύεται ἡ ἀγάπη, οὐ ζηλοῖ, [ἡ ἀγάπη] οὐ περπερεύεται, οὐ φυσιοῦται, οὐκ ἀσχημονεῖ, οὐ ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς, οὐ παροξύνεται, οὐ λογίζεται τὸ κακόν, οὐ χαίρει ἐπὶ τῇ ἀδικίᾳ, συγχαίρει δὲ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ· πάντα στέγει, πάντα πιστεύει, πάντα ἐλπίζει, πάντα ὑπομένει. ἡ ἀγάπη οὐδέποτε πίπτει. εἴτε δὲ προφητεῖαι, καταργηθήσονται· εἴτε γλῶσσαι, παύσονται· εἴτε γνῶσις, καταργηθήσεται. ἐκ μέρους γὰρ γινώσκομεν καὶ ἐκ μέρους προφητεύομεν· ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον, τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται.ὅτε ἤμην νήπιος, ἐλάλουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐφρόνουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐλογιζόμην ὡς νήπιος· ὅτε γέγονα ἀνήρ, κατήργηκα τὰ τοῦ νηπίου.βλέπομεν γὰρ ἄρτι δι᾽ ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον· ἄρτι γινώσκω ἐκ μέρους, τότε δὲ ἐπιγνώσομαι καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην. νυνὶ δὲ μένει πίστις, ἐλπίς, ἀγάπη, τὰ τρία ταῦτα· μείζων δὲ τούτων ἡ ἀγάπη… αρετή… in any case, this might be no longer relevant!

Τούτο εις αυτόν υπήρχε το ξεχωριστό,
που μέσα σ’ όλην του την έκλυσι
και την πολλήν του πείραν έρωτος,
παρ’ όλην την συνειθισμένη του
στάσεως και ηλικίας εναρμόνισιν,
ετύχαιναν στιγμές - πλην βέβαια
σπανιότατες - που την εντύπωσιν
έδιδε σάρκας σχεδόν άθικτης.

Των είκοσι εννιά του χρόνων η εμορφιά
η τόσο από την ηδονή δοκιμασμένη,
ήταν στιγμές που θύμιζε παράδοξα
έφηβο που - κάπως αδέξια - στην αγάπη
πρώτη φορά το αγνό του σώμα παραδίδει.

Κωνσταντίνος Π. Καβάφης 1927_ Meres tou 1901

The spectacle is the acme of ideology because it fully exposes and manifests the essence of all ideological systems: The impoverishment, enslavement and negation of real life… This is the supreme stage of an expansion that has turned need against life. “The need for money is thus the real need crated by the modern economic system, and the only need it creates”. Hegel’s characterization of money as “the self-moving life of what is dead” has now been extended by the spectacle to all social life.(Guy Debord, society of the spectacle)

“Whoever becomes the ruler of a city that is accustomed to freedom and does not destroy it can be expected to be destroyed by it, for it can always find a pretext for rebellion in the name of its former freedom and age-gold customs, which are never forgotten despite the passage of time or any benefits it has received. No matter what the ruler does or what precautions he takes, the inhabitants will never forget that freedom of those customs” (Machiavelli, the Prince) …unless the conquered never realize that they are not free any-more and their freedom has already been taken. Some times in the less obvious way: Taking away its capacity to think, canceling its will to judge with an open mind if they are free or just another dumb gear in the society of the spectacle, making them feel comfortable with nothingness.

www.zeitgeistmovie.com/main.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeitgeist,_the_Movie
video.google.com/videoplay 

Through different scales and different hands wondering to get power, A Multi-scalar view or a kind of HyperHabitat-concept is needed to understand how  from the simplest person in the street to the heads of power, the speculation about the money-exchange turns to be the first question to be answered in case of any doubt, so if the little fish eats money the big fish not only eats the little one but what it is inside its prey, the alimentary-chain of economy rules the human behaviour for a long time by now.

All this can be taken as :“surreal perversions of genuine issues and debates.”(Irish times critic to Zeitgeist the movie)… in any case… just follow the yellow brick road…

Zeitgeist Addendum: Are religions and Social statements trembling because they are no longer relevant!?

priest -screaming to the audience while Alex is lying on the stage-: ‘Choice! The boy has no real choice, has he? Self interest, fear of physical pain drove him to that grotesque act of self abasement. Its insincerity was clearly to be seen.
He ceases also to be a creature capable of moral choice.’ (Script from ACO - A Clockwork Orange)

Ya hace tiempo que asistí disfrazado
a unas mascaradas que fui invitado
modelé antifaces tan coloridos
como los tonos de los vestidos
que usaba a diario como disfraz
para verme tal como los demás.

Para verme como querían mirarme
ponía a mi silueta cualquier alarde.
Como era galante el hombre floral
me adorné las ramas muy natural.
Para el que me vio parecí normal
en esos desfiles de carnaval.

“… from now on, everything that you do, must be done DANCING!!! “(Festival de la Hamaca, BCN, Agosto 2008)

Entre las parejas que iban
girando un día le encontré.
Bella como media luna
que alumbra al oscurecer.
Convidé a la danza
a la dama luna del antifaz
que ella usaba para
que se pensara, que era su faz,
pero al descubrir su semblante
nada hallé detrás.

Me asusté al mirar su cara vacía,
dijo así son todos, ¿no lo sabías?
Con un gesto dulce mas que elegante
mi luz nocturna se hizo menguante
luna que al fin desapareció.
Al amanecer de mi comprensión.

Fui a buscar a aquel que he llamado amigo.
Bajo el antifaz nadie hallé conmigo,
Busqué entre las poses, los comediantes,
entre los diestros y principiantes
que actúan al rostro del soñador
y ese rostro sólo lo tenía yo.

“… from now on, everything that you do, must be done DANCING!!! “(Piazza San Marco, Venezia, Agosto 2008)

De entonces a acá
me despojo a diario del antifaz,
que hizo la costumbre
de un maquillaje tan pertinaz.
Como la canción desenmascarada
me muestro a aquel,
que acaso no gusta de lo que
mira cuando me ve,
o hasta se incomode si no veo a nadie
dentro de él.

Ahora ya no voy desenmascarando
cuando encuentro que alguien
se emboza actuando.
Cuando engañan en su felicidad
sólo veo remedos de humanidad.
Lo que podrían haber sido y no son
entre vanaglorias y compasión.

Lo que soy yo mismo no puedo verlo
lo que veas de mí, no puedo esconderlo
ni siquiera cargo con mi armadura
el que pueda herirme hallará en mi hechura
sangre mestiza sin condición,
que mantiene abierto mi corazón.

Fernando Delgadillo
(1996)