Hive
Based on photographs of the architecture and design of the RMIT campus, Hive navigates the shared space between the physical and the virtual, creating a visual labyrinth reminiscent of our online existence and gaming.
Hive is based on photographs taken on the campus of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in 2017. Here, the eclectic, colorful meeting and learning environments for students and university staff are spread out over numerous interlocking floors, resembling a computer game in which the player must progress from level to level. Some of the spaces look like three-dimensional comic strips, others like sets of science fiction films or theme parks. Using processes such as digital double exposure and collage techniques, I reinforce these spatial impressions, but also bring out their absurdity. The resulting virtual spaces reflect the inherent contradiction of such educational environments. On the one hand, they have a positive effect and stimulate creativity. However, they are also designed to elicit certain behaviors and exert control by promoting neoliberal values such as flexibility, creativity, constant availability, and the deterioration of life-work balance. This probes into the performative power of architecture and to what extent it can dictate human behavior and influence our way of life.
