The condition of (im)possibility
by Stefania Strouza
The essay examines the term “unproductivity” in relation to the notion of “the third landscape”. The latter consists, according to landscape architect Gilles Clement, of the total sum of “unproductive” land emerging in the margins of urban areas. If space in capitalism is materialized by a series of evictions and displacements, “the third landscape” manifests itself as the by-product of this process. Through theparallel references to my installation work “The condition of (im)possibility”- the outcome of a research into Clement’s theory- I will explore how such an “ecosophical” perspective could reveal a new aesthetic and socio-political understanding of the environment.
The title “The condition of (im)possibility” refers to C.Mouffe’s conception of a radical pluralist democracy as one embedded with negativity. The essay argues that the third landscape could be perceived as the spatial materialization of such a conception of politics. The conflicts and antagonisms that “the third landscape” embodies form the conditions of possibility for the existence of a pluralist space. At the same time, they constitute the condition of impossibility of its final achievement. Resisting delineation within a specific framework, “the third landscape” consists of a locus where the discourse on political and social ecology could be set forth.
The title “The condition of (im)possibility” refers to C.Mouffe’s conception of a radical pluralist democracy as one embedded with negativity. The essay argues that the third landscape could be perceived as the spatial materialization of such a conception of politics. The conflicts and antagonisms that “the third landscape” embodies form the conditions of possibility for the existence of a pluralist space. At the same time, they constitute the condition of impossibility of its final achievement. Resisting delineation within a specific framework, “the third landscape” consists of a locus where the discourse on political and social ecology could be set forth.
| Tags | conceptual, landscape, large format, political, public space, research |
| Technique | Installation |
