Brazil's economy in the 1950s was booming. Foreign money was investing in the country at an astonishing rate, and the country was on the road to "modernity" and "progress". It was from this era that the we get the happy-go-lucky bossa nova music or the postcard-perfect image of Copacobana Beach in sunny Rio de Janeiro, both symbols of the "sophistication" and "cool" image of Brazil. The president of the time Juscelino Kubitschek was called Brazil's own "JK" and his fresh and modern look was emblematic of the national image that the country wanted to create.
Kubitschek, in order to create a national capital that was symbolic of the modern identity that Brazil was embracing, ordered the creation of Brasília, which would be a 100% planned city in the center of the country. All of the buildings were to be monuments that displayed architectural grandeur and modernity, surrounded by open lawns and plazas, giving people a sense of spaciousness. The city was designed with no traffic lights, stops, or corners, giving cars fluid movement for transit. Every building, apartment complex, lake, retail store, and cafe were carefully planned in order to create a "Brazilian Utopia".
The city is both beloved and criticized as being a city of fantasy. The famous art critic Robert Hughes has said that “nothing dates faster than people's fantasies about the future. This is what you get when perfectly decent, intelligent, and talented men start thinking in terms of space rather than place”.
Below are pictures of Brasília (as taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brasilia):
What do you think, is Brasília more of a space or a place? How is Brasília an issue of the geographies of identity, space, and place? Can you think of a different place that forces us to reflect on space, place, and identity? If so, describe it, and if possible post some photos or links to give us a visual image.
I think there are a lot of places that make you reflect on space, place and identity. Certainly when traveling you will see these places. Stonehenge, the Parthenon, the Aya Sofya, Chichen Itza, the Reflection Pool at the National Mall.
ReplyDeleteThe Aya Sofya makes you think about the temporal nature of these places, too. Having been built in Constantinople as a Christian church, it was a place where the emperor worshiped. In 1453 when the Ottomans conquered the city, it became a mosque until Ataturk decommissioned it and converted it into a museum/landmark.
As you walk through the place, you see Christian and Muslim iconography mixed as plaster used by the Ottomans to hide paintings of Jesus, Mary and the saints is carefully being removed.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brian1121/4864807354/in/set-72157624662325290/
Here you can see a winged creature. It was originally an angel, but the Ottomans capped the face and repainted it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brian1121/4864788490/in/set-72157624662325290/
Much like in "Defining Place," how the Ottomans remade the Aya Sofya and indeed all of Constantinople their own speaks a lot about their social and cultural priorities. The build the Blue Mosque literally across the street from the Aya Sofya. They could have destroyed it afterwards, but it still had value and worth to them. Today, we all reap the rewards because the cathedral is still there echoing through history the architectural decisions made by Justinian in the 7th century. It's a space for reflection and a place for contemplation.
I think this is a space that the people have made into a place. It may not necessarily be a place of the people, but of the president. To me, a place is something that you make your own. Like a bedroom. My bedroom says a lot about me. You can tell my favorite color, my sense of style, the people I care about (through pictures), my fashion, and many other things. People will take a space and turn it into an area that represents them. It then becomes their place. I think this is what the president in Brazil has tried to do. Kubitschek wanted to portray Brazil as modern and elegant. To me, the problem is how one wants to be portrayed vs. how things really are. A place can also be misleading when it is planned to look a certain way. For example, if you were to drive through my hometown (Wellston), you may think of it as a tight-knit community with a lot of history and proud citizens.
ReplyDeletehttp://cityofwellston.org/
http://www.wcs.k12.oh.us/district/athletics_albums.jsp
http://www.zoomnet.net/~alma/
http://www.wellstonforum.com/photos/view.php?photo=4
This is an image of the area that many want “outsiders” to see. I believe there are MANY places with the same intentions: they want to hide their flaws and problems. If Wellston “showcased” the bad along with the good, there are a few other things you would see. All you would have to do is visit a Wellston forum or read a blog by someone from Wellston to see a very different picture.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10707024@N04/2775289997/
I think for the most part, a “place” represents who you are. But places can also be manipulated to represent whatever you want it to.