Architecture: Perceptual Constructs of Temporary Spaces

June 29, 2022

Temporary spaces offer systematic and flexible spatial solutions compared to constructions requiring stringent conditions. These spaces encourage dynamic interactions between architecture, social environments, locales, texts, and communities, fostering creative and organic ways of living.

OFF-SITE, established in Taipei in 2011, focuses on researching public spaces and creating interactive performances derived from architectural hardware. Their projects revitalise neglected urban spaces, as exemplified by Bridge Hole. Observing the lives and spatial patterns of residents beneath Taipei’s Jianguo Bridge, OFF-SITE invited creators to present weekly exhibitions centred on this theme. These interventions reactivated the space’s latent potential, subtly displacing everyday perceptions and unveiling new layers of aesthetic and intellectual engagement.

mt.project, led by curator Lin Yi-Hua, approaches the understanding of space through projects like South of South, ANIMA, and the recent Matsu International Art Island: Underground Works. Using contemporary art to question the motivations behind phenomena, Lin views public dialogue as a variant of practice. The manifesto of the Shan Ye Project states: “Only by thinking from the land can one be shaped by the mountains.” She encourages creators to intertwine with nature, the wild, and humanistic elements, expanding the boundaries of artistic imagination.

Temporary spaces enable agile, site-specific interventions that coexist with human nature and thought. Creators and local residents engage in collaborative exercises, transforming solid, static architecture into liquid, community-centred environments. These spaces challenge habitual living by introducing extraordinary forms of permeability and shared experience.

This lecture features Chung Chieh-Min and Jiang Bing-Fan, founders of OFF-SITE, alongside Lin Yi-Hua, curator of the Shan Ye Project. The discussion focuses on how the shaping and performance planning of temporary spaces can dissolve urban alienation, foster meaningful interactions between creators and local communities, and initiate sustainable public cultural actions.

Planned and co-organized by pong ding︎︎︎.
Published: June 10, 2022. Last Updated: December 27, 2024.