the architecture of good intentions zine
I put together a zine for a mock exhibit called the “architecture of good intentions” for a summer course on “Solidarity and Zapatismo” that I took with the Autonomous School of Social Movements.
At the time, I was being exposed to the paradigms and paradoxes of humanitarian action. This installation became a seed of an idea about how these contradictions might be made me explicit, or even tactile. This is what I wrote about the project in 2020:
Inspired by Ivan Illich’s “To Hell With Good Intentions” essay, an incisive essay that explores and critiques the paternalism inherent in any desire to do good within another society or culture, this project seeks to visually explore the implications of “doing good” within a society or culture that is not one’s own. These questions are particularly applicable in the Swiss context, within a country that saw the founding of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and currently houses the headquarters of innumerable international humanitarian and development organizations.
During a period of immense upheaval and change worldwide, “The Architecture of Good Intentions” is a place for reflection, built to facilitate internal dialogue about these difficult questions. Within a geodesic dome – a famous symbol of both alternative living and humanitarian housing – the participant will view digital visuals of critical literature, art, video, and photography that critical reflect on the nature of “good intentions” in the humanitarian and development context. These videos, texts and photos will be displayed using e-ink on a matte display, embedded into the dome’s fabric. The aim is to create a completely tactile and interactive experience for the visitor, perhaps in opposition to the common experience of an “art exhibit” and “museum” setting. These embedded texts are displayed in a low-impact and low-energy yet visually immersive format that creates a small for reflection, without removing the participant from the space in which they are embedded.
I have no doubt that this work was influenced by two exhibits I had scene in previous years organised by UNHCR and MSF, respectively.