The influence of Contemporary Japanese architecture: its meanings and its miss-readings. Contemporary architecture and urbanism in Australia has generally been concerned with addressing 'modernity' while little concerned with specific culture or place, and with little discernable ideology. Consequently, the City of Sydney is much used by international film-makers as an undifferentiated generic metropolis backdrop. In contrast, Japan's contemporary architects have developed a politically-charged ....The influence of Contemporary Japanese architecture: its meanings and its miss-readings. Contemporary architecture and urbanism in Australia has generally been concerned with addressing 'modernity' while little concerned with specific culture or place, and with little discernable ideology. Consequently, the City of Sydney is much used by international film-makers as an undifferentiated generic metropolis backdrop. In contrast, Japan's contemporary architects have developed a politically-charged architecture which registers the complexity of their national identity while turning its back on nationalism. This project will contrast the ideologies of leading contemporary architects in Japan and Australia and will serve as a benchmark against which contemporary Australian architecture can be assessed.Read moreRead less
What is successful public art today?: exploring how contemporary public art and memorial design shapes public engagement, perceptions and behaviour. Much public money is invested in public art and memorials. The research explores critical questions of value: what the public enjoys about such artworks, if and how artworks contribute amenity to public spaces, and whether recent artworks engage effectively with social memory, identity and politics. The research situates local practice within intern ....What is successful public art today?: exploring how contemporary public art and memorial design shapes public engagement, perceptions and behaviour. Much public money is invested in public art and memorials. The research explores critical questions of value: what the public enjoys about such artworks, if and how artworks contribute amenity to public spaces, and whether recent artworks engage effectively with social memory, identity and politics. The research situates local practice within international trends, to inform Australian designers, policymakers, art patrons and public space managers about recent innovations in technology, craft, creativity and critique, so they can create and choose public artworks and memorials which engage with the potentials of contemporary arts practice, the complexities of contemporary culture, and the diversity of social behaviour in public spaces.Read moreRead less