WHAT DO ARCHITECTURE AND ANIMATION HAVE IN COMMON?

A DISCOURSE At first glance, animation and architecture seem to be so very different fields. Given that one assembles 24 or 30 images per second in front of the viewer, whereas the other one produces so very static constructs, they seem to be at the opposite of the spectrum of visual representation. One is all about building, about erecting solid structures, the other one is all about jumping ever so erratically from image to image to image. One freezes time, one motions through time. Thus it follows that these are so very polar opposites. Funny though, filmmakers are fascinated by architecture, architects are fascinated by the moving image. Where does this phenomenon come from? Where does it originate? In my humble opinion, images on a monitor move and we as the viewers are passive consumers of whatever happens on the screen, whereas as a user of architecture, of buildings we roam around a building, we walk through a room. We ourselves provide the motion. Our visual field though is constantly changing. If I walk through a room, what I see, changes constantly, my field of vision expands, changes. It is the same as the frame in a movie. Here someone changes the image, while when motioning through a space, I change what I see. Of course when we move we are surrounded by our field of vision, we are not staring at a two-dimensional image. In animation, though we too can fill a room with films, the ceiling, all four walls. Somehow I am kind of overwhelmed. Am not quite sure whether I am comparing apples and oranges. And is there even a benefit for humanity at large to analyze similarities between animation and architecture. In starting this magazine I am trying to

start a dialogue, on the other hand I very much think about the outcome of this purely theoretical discourse. What possible benefit can this kind of discourse have for our day to day lives? Is this only a discussion of irrelevant matters? That have no political, no societal merit? That are more near to philosophy than to practical applied science, applied art. Where is the application, where? Anyways, at this time I am trying to produce a prototype for a magazine that is aptly named on animation and architecture. Each Volume consists of twenty pages ten essays of exactly two pages each. It should be published ten times a year. The price is ten dollars (kind of steep) - circulation is 100 pieces- very low output. Which is fine, because this is more on a trial-basis, and I do not want to concur a lot of financial loss. Which is so very important for longevity. In other words, if the initial investment is very low, the project cannot cease to exist easily. The main problem is to find really good writers. Who love to write and are outstanding at knowledge and writing skills. In short, who are the very best thinkers in these fields? And how can I make them write for this. Without being paid? Just for the love of it? Thus, at this point, I am the only writer of this, which kind of sucks, because I am no expert on media studies or on architectural theory, for that matter. Only some art school essays constitute my experience. Anyways, one has to start somewhere. So at this time, I will write one essay per day (without footnotes and produce a prototype for the presentation, which is due in exactly ten days. At least I will produce a prototype of what the final mag/ rag should look like. Even if there is only one contributor for the time being: Yours truly.