_____                   _______                   _____                    _____          
         /\    \                 /::\    \                 /\    \                  /\    \         
        /::\____\               /::::\    \               /::\    \                /::\____\        
       /:::/    /              /::::::\    \             /::::\    \              /:::/    /        
      /:::/   _/___           /::::::::\    \           /::::::\    \            /:::/    /         
     /:::/   /\    \         /:::/~~\:::\    \         /:::/\:::\    \          /:::/    /          
    /:::/   /::\____\       /:::/    \:::\    \       /:::/__\:::\    \        /:::/____/           
   /:::/   /:::/    /      /:::/    / \:::\    \     /::::\   \:::\    \      /::::\    \           
  /:::/   /:::/   _/___   /:::/____/   \:::\____\   /::::::\   \:::\    \    /::::::\____\________  
 /:::/___/:::/   /\    \ |:::|    |     |:::|    | /:::/\:::\   \:::\____\  /:::/\:::::::::::\    \ 
|:::|   /:::/   /::\____\|:::|____|     |:::|    |/:::/  \:::\   \:::|    |/:::/  |:::::::::::\____\
|:::|__/:::/   /:::/    / \:::\    \   /:::/    / \::/   |::::\  /:::|____|\::/   |::|~~~|~~~~~     
 \:::\/:::/   /:::/    /   \:::\    \ /:::/    /   \/____|:::::\/:::/    /  \/____|::|   |          
  \::::::/   /:::/    /     \:::\    /:::/    /          |:::::::::/    /         |::|   |          
   \BACK/___/:::/    /       \:::\__/:::/    /           |::|\::::/    /          |::|   |          
    \:::\__/:::/    /         \::::::::/    /            |::| \::/____/           |::|   |          
     \::::::::/    /           \::::::/    /             |::|  ~|                 |::|   |          
      \::::::/    /             \::::/    /              |::|   |                 |::|   |          
       \::::/    /               \::/____/               \::|   |                 \::|   |          
        \::/____/                 ~~                      \:|   |                  \:|   |          
  ~~                                                \|___|                   \|___|   

>>GOLD FICTIONS<<

Diploma Unit Six, Architectural Association

Liam Young & Kate Davies

2010-2011

Aboriginal dreamtime narratives speak of a time when the ground was soft and creation beings shaped mountains and rivers. Now the financial narratives of gold prices reshape the earth through massive excavations and technological incisions. The Atlas of Gold Fictions catalogues the strange infrastructures of the gold economy, from its source in the mines of Australia to the web of precious artefacts scattered across the globe. The infrastructure of gold’s solely virtual value is re-imagined through the speculative artefacts of a new network of gold objects inscribed with the oral histories of the land from which it came. A suicide note is inscribed on a single gold bullet, the sound of a grandmother’s laughter is encoded into an heirloom necklace and the dying languages of Australia’s indigenous culture are recorded onto the gold bars dug out of the very ground of their homeland. Our relationship to our finite resources is re-examined through this new, dispersed geology of artefacts encoded with the cultural, rather than economic, values of the contemporary world.

 

>Gold pendant player<

>Suicide bullet<

"No More Games. No More Bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming.67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. I am always bitchy. No Fun - for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your (old) age. Relax - This won't hurt."

>Note left on the typewriter of Hunter S. Thompson<

>Lumbar implant encoded with posthumous message<

 

>>NEW TURKISH ORNAMENT: AN EMBASSY IN LONDON<<

Diploma Unit Thirteen, Architectural Association

Oliver Domeisen & Tristan Simmonds

2009-2010

Rooted in nomadic traditions, Turkey’s architecture is one of appropriation and layering - veiling in contrast to barbaric sexuality.

On the border of two worlds, Turkey must grapple with rich sensuality and ethnic diversity in contrast to its desire to assimilate with its secular western cousins.

Contemporary Turkey is in dire need of an expressive oriental style that releases it from the ideological shackles of modernism and celebrates its contradictions and desires.

>Tulip lamp based on London's cast iron lanterns<

>Muqarnas vault coated in red "republican" paint<