visual assembly as map
visual assembly [https://v-a.city/] room in museum of care
from room’s page [https://museum.care/room/visual-assembly/visual-assembly-as-a-map-of-units-of-care/]:
Visual Assembly as Map of Units of Care
visual assembly as map – adding page same day to starting gather visual assembly ness (pages, meetings, rooms)
Curated by Nika Dubrovsky, Leopoldo Fox-Zampiccoli, Miles Grant, K. Kalia
The topic of Care Units as part of Visual Assemblies emerged in dialogue between David Graeber and Nika Dubrovsky back in 2019 during the pandemic. The name is somewhat controversial because it is based on the short story by J.G. Ballard, The Intensive Care Unit, which portrays the catastrophic violence in a society that lacks human connection.
david and nika on museum of care et al
Leopoldo Fox-Zampiccoli:
Our plan is to display on a VA tablecloth a blank map of New York City. We will have stickers with images of ponds, trees, birdhouses, small sidewalk gardens and other easy-to-set-up ‘care units’. We will also have blank stickers where participants can draw whatever other care unit they come up with.
resonating to i wish this was ness .. which led to city sketchup ness.. et al
Everyone can add their care units on the table cloth to map out the location past, present and future care units: those already in place, those that were there before, and those that people dream or plan of.
This Visual Assembly will be a first moment to collect these examples, and upload them on a google map afterwards. To every location, people can add their name and/or contacts, if they want to be contacted and weave new conversations.
This map will become freely accessible so that people can add more care units even if they couldn’t make it to the Assembly. Potentially, we could organize more Visual Assemblies to record more care units and spark the imagination of future ones.
yeah.. city sketchup ness et al
Nika Dubrovsky:
I participated in a reading group set up by Russian immigrants in Paris, where we read J.G. Ballard’s story during the pandemic. David and me both got sick almost immediately, and later it turned out he was dying. It seemed crucial, amid everything, to break the matrix we found ourselves in, to invent a mechanism that would cut through the blockade, allowing us to communicate with each other and restore our humanity..t
huge huge huge.. need 1st/most: means to undo our hierarchical listening to self/others/nature as global detox/re\set.. so we can org around legit needs
A big part of the plan is to immediately upload everything to Google Maps, both during the planning process and after the Assembly. This will provide access to an unlimited number of participants..t who cannot attend the Assembly in March because they may not have the time or opportunity to be there.
again.. we tried i wish this was.. then sought to hasten/simplify/expand-access-to-all that process via city sketchup
Even at the Mayday Room, our last assembly, there were already too many people, so not everyone was able to speak because time was limited..t
exactly.. why we need tech as nonjudgmental expo labeling to take care of that ginorm small process
In fact, we need the whole city—or at least 99% of it!
need all for the dance to dance
I believe an important part of participating in this initiative is that it won’t require much effort from people (a very low entry threshold). Becoming a participant and placing your Care Unit on the map should be very simple: someone could install a birdhouse on a tree near their home, someone else could place a flower bed on their porch, or simply put a decorated chair where people can sit—anything that can be shared and invite others to join or add to it (just like in the original aquarium idea). This way, many people can collaborate, support each other, and most importantly, signal to each other that they are part of a different network, not tied to hierarchy or their neighborhood—they are just fellow city dwellers.
The aquarium project, which inspired our initiative, was an intervention into public space. Even though this intervention was small (just 30 cm reclaimed from the sidewalk), it was immediately noticed and shut down by the authorities. But imagine if many such spaces appeared at once?
1,000 birdhouses across New York? 100 chairs decorated with flowers where passersby can sit? Could this be banned? And why would it be banned?
It’s exhilarating to think about how public space is shaped by us, how we can take control of it by signaling to each other that we exist all over the city.
this is a sabbatical ish transition.. a people experiment.. as graeber model law to hari rat park law.. et al
Related Rooms
Here are some Rooms on a similar subject, or they might be doing a similar thing.
The Survival Kit Collection: The David Graeber Institute is developing a Museum of Care in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines using an abandoned ship that is set to be pulled ashore and installed near the old oceanfront airport. The museum will be organized around a collection called the Survival Kit, which focuses on the maintenance of human life rather than the preservation of art objects.
st vincent et al
Made Differently: This room features collections of resources linked to the Made Differently… book thrilogy (MIT Press, Fall 2024) and is designed to be an interdisciplinary meeting platform for everyone who want to contribute and take part in the collateral events (talks, workshops, seminars and presentations).
cities made differently et al
Playground without Walls: Playground without walls will be the last playground ever built in the world. With no walls, it welcomes everyone. Rebuild the pillow fort in the living room, and together, let’s reshape the world. Building slowly, patiently, we’ll be the last ones done. Playground without Walls Special Statement: We haven’t invented anything; we’re simply uncovering the fire hidden within the stone.
playgrounds et al
Pedagogies of Care : What contemporary practices align with this historical lineage and trajectory, aptly coined by Illich as ‘deschooling’? Contemporary actors such as The Freedom Theatre in Palestine, Grupo Contrafile in Brazil, but also indigenous communities and activist groups, are examples that will help us to understand and locate those contemporary ‘pedagogies of care’ in action, which also go well beyond this very complex and problematic notion.
what (about) ness
meetings:
notes from MayDay Space: One of the most interesting takeaways was that even if people from different political or social backgrounds had participated, their vision of a city would likely look very similar. No matter what, people want the same basic things—daycares, safe playgrounds, elderly care homes, clean air, and a reliable food system..Expanding the digital map by organizing and refining the work done during the meetings so it’s clear to those who weren’t there. The goal is to turn the map into an online platform where different groups can add their own layers and develop the project further.
notes from OBA/Amsterdam: Public spaces: ..endless parks—dog parks, cat parks, bicycle and skate parks.. “Outsiders”: Borders became another point of tension. Children debated whether “outsiders” should be allowed in, questioning who decides who belongs and who doesn’t. Would newcomers need permission to stay? Where would they live, and who would build their houses?.. One of the most heartwarming moments was when we discussed schools. When asked what schools should look like, the kids immediately agreed they should be “like a library.” They focused on what schools shouldn’t have: no homework, no pressure, and no grades. The Schools-Libraries they envisioned would be filled with animals, games, and endless fun..Some of the questions that remain: Who should pay for essentials like food? How should we handle poverty?
need to try a sabbatical ish transition
________
________
________
_______
_______
_______
________
_______
be you. 