Human behavior in public space

Marieke Gelissen @ GRAC 22-03-2010

Human behavior in public spaceas an inspiration

Marieke Gelissen @ GRAC 22-03-2010

Looking for theory

• social psychologyhow human thoughts, feeling and behavior are influenced by others

• environmental psychologythe relation between environment and human behavior

• sociology

• antropology

First impression

• these science try to describe human behavior in public space in an objective way

B= f (P,E)

• they focus mainly on what patterns of behavior, on ‘what most people do’ or ‘what people are supposed to do’

• this brought me to some observations:

First observations

• the way public space is designed, is very directing

• a lot of public space is reserved for forms of transportation

• public space is getting more and more designed, it looks as if everyone adds something, but no one deletes things from public space

Overtoom (where I live)

Why do people follow these behavorial rules?

sociology provides an answer: interest (belang), legitimy (legitimiteit) and force (dwang)

Source: Essay by Nico Wilterdink - Het Stoplicht / The traffic light

Sociologists provide interesting observations:

Research of the speed of people walking revealed that the walking speed had increased in different cities all over the world.

Source: Essay by Felix van der Laar - De Fietser / The cyclist

Artists provide interesting observations

Francis Alys

Paulien Oltheten

Francis Alÿs

"I spend a lot of time walking around the city... The initial concept for a project often emerges during a walk. As an artist, my position is akin to that of a passer-by constantly trying to situate myself in a moving environment. My work is a succession of notes and guides.The invention of a language goes together with the invention of a city. Each of my interventions is another fragment of the story that I am inventing, of the city that I am mapping."

Francis Alÿs

Zocalo (Mexico City, 1999 collaboration with Rafael Ortega) 12 hour documentary following the progression of the shadow of the flagpole in the Zocalo (the main square in

Mexico City) during the course of a day. It records how arbitrary social encounters can sometimes be perceived as sculptural situations.

QuickTime™ en een-decompressor

zijn vereist om deze afbeelding weer te geven.

Francis AlÿsOne day, Francis and Cuauhtemoc were walking along chatting in London Hyde Park when Cuauhtemoc suddenly

stumbled and fell. That fall also led to a discussion of the ridiculous, laughter and humour, all mixed in with art. This was the starting point for The Last Clown.

Interview met Francis Alys on The last clown (also showing the video): www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwmug-DW58M

QuickTime™ en een-decompressor

zijn vereist om deze afbeelding weer te geven.

Paulien Oltheten

The public spaces and the street in particular are her place of work, mankind and their behaviour her subjects. QuickTime™ en een

-decompressorzijn vereist om deze afbeelding weer te geven.

QuickTime™ en een-decompressor

zijn vereist om deze afbeelding weer te geven.

QuickTime™ en een-decompressor

zijn vereist om deze afbeelding weer te geven.

QuickTime™ en een-decompressorzijn vereist om deze afbeelding weer te geven.

QuickTime™ en een-decompressor

zijn vereist om deze afbeelding weer te geven.

QuickTime™ en een-decompressor

zijn vereist om deze afbeelding weer te geven.

My first conclusion Observing human behavior in public space is an inspiring starting point

My second conclusion Instead of focussing on the general patterns it is more interesting to focus on the exception, the individual, the detail.

My third conclusion This requires more awareness of the daily situations you are in and more attention for specific aspects in this situations that may be interesting in relation to your work.

K. Schippers

Loosdrecht.Als dit Ierland was, zou ik beter kijken.

Loosdrecht. If this were Ireland, I would take a closer look.

To watch, listen or read:

Interview met Francis Alys on The last clown (also showing the video): www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwmug-DW58M

Interviews met Paulien Oltheten in de Avonden:http://www.vpro.nl/programma/deavonden/afleveringen/42128528/items/42412781/media/42412243/

Filmpje van Paulien Oltheten (in which she reacts to a beautifully line made aof leaves) www.limboland.tv/lost-and-found/oltheten

Boek ‘Theorie van de Straat’ , van Paulien Oltheten (Nai, 2007), in te zien en te koop bij galerie Fons Welters.

Boek ‘De samenleving ligt op straat’, laagdrempelige (stads)sociologische essays. Het Spinhuis, 2007