"Seeing | Sounding | Sensing" Symposium at MIT this September 2014. Artists asking neuroscientists, anthropologists, and technicians about color, visual perception, and sensory experience? I'm there.

Currently in a rut with this "Architecture of Memory" development. I came across David' Pearson's New Organic Architecture: The Breaking Wave which appears relatively offbeat, but could be the kind of inspiration this project needs. Let's see what these organic architect's have to say about sensory perception and the marriage of art and architecture.

ORGANIC (adjective):
1a) of food; grown or made without the use of artificial chemicals
1b) not using artificial chemicals
2) of, relating to, or obtained from living things
3a) forming an integral element of a whole
3b) having systematic coordination of parts
[First known use 1517]

"What is synesthesia? It is not, van Campen concludes, an audiovisual performance, a literary technique, an artistic trend, or a metaphor. It is, perhaps, our hidden sense—a way to think visually: a key to our own sensitivity." Although I was not entirely fond of van Campen's writing, I thought he brought up some interesting, valid points, in particular metaphor. I could see why people without the condition would use metaphor to relate and describe the condition, and I agree with van Campen for concluding that synesthesia is not this, metaphor. His approach determines what synesthesia is not, to prove his theory of 'the hidden sense.' Regardless, the book is a good read, especially for the study on the topic; its nice to see different view points and understandings from non-synesthetes and Richard Cytowic to help develop my own thoughts on the subject.

METAPHOR (noun):
1) a word or phrase for one thing that is used to refer to another thing in order to show or suggest that they are similar
2) an object, activity, or idea that is used as a symbol of something else
[ORIGIN: Middle English methaphor, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French metaphore, from Latin metaphora, from Greek, from metapherein to transfer, from meta- + phereinto bear, first known use in 15th century]

Sounds of architecture should be celebrated. Kenan Professor of Architecture Karen Van Lengen from the University of Virginia launched "Soundscape Architecture," a collaboration with artists and musicians to create a synaesthetic response to architectural space using sound as subject. I wonder how sound as a sensory tool might be used to remember space, and how this sensory awareness could be celebrated in installation form. Article from ArchDaily here.

I'm a fan of Oliver Sacks's investigations into memory, mind and behaviorism. Very inspirational intellect.

David Adjaye quote of the day from The Root:

"Buildings are deeply emotive structures which form our psyche. People think they're just things they maneuver through, but the makeup of a person is influenced by the nature of spaces."

Photograph by Linda Nylind

"Architecture of Memory" is a series of on-site architectural investigations of memory of place through spatial perception. Planning for “Architecture of Memory” began in early 2013. It had originally been planned to take the form of personal cross-country “sensory tours” of architecture by architects that inspired my creative process—E. Fay Jones, Mickey Meunnig, Sim Van Der Ryn among others. It would be a way to tour the United States (much of my prior traveling has been in Europe) and expand my knowledge of architecture in the field with heavy emphasis on experience and sensory perception. The arts administrator in me hopes to create a program for the public following this structure. But now realizing the scale, I plan to complete this series over the course of several years, and produce a text and installation(s) for each project. My hope is that this research will be used as a model for a program or class on spatial perception. More information to come.

MEMORY (noun):
1a) the power or process of reproducing or recalling what has been learned and retained especially through associative mechanisms
1b) the store of things learned and retained from an organism's activity or experience as evidenced by modification of structure or behavior or by recall and recognition
[ORIGIN: Middle English memorie, from Anglo-French memoire, memorie, from Latin memoria, from memor mindful; akin to Old English gemimor well-known, Greek mermēra care, Sanskrit smarati he remembers; first known use in 14th century]

Bloomberg Businessweek reports on the benefits of synaesthetes in the workplace. Article accompanied by a video interview: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-01-09/the-minds-eye-synesthesia-has-business-benefits#p1

I enjoyed Wednesday is Indigo Blue so much that I'm continuing to follow Richard Cytowic's investigations, this time in The Man Who Tasted Shapes. "Richard Cytowic's dinner host apologized, "There aren't enough points on the chicken!" He felt flavor also as a physical shape in his hands, and the chicken had come out "too round." This offbeat comment in 1980 launched Cytowic's exploration into the oddity called synesthesia. He is one of the few world authorities on the subject." Looking forward to diving into this!

Very much looking forward to architect David Adjaye's talk at Cooper Union this week. Adjaye's work combines art and architecture through integrity of material, attention to location and human experience through details like lighting. His firm's fearlessness and risk in design is impressive and appealing. In honor of this conversation, I picked up his latest book of works with essays and conversations by Adjaye and other designers including Teresita Fernandez, Jorge Pardo, and Matthew Ritchie.

AUTHOR (noun):
1) a person who has written something: especially, a person who has written a book or writes many books
2) a person who starts or creates something, such as a plan or idea
[ORIGIN: Middle English auctour, from Anglo-French auctor, autor,from Latin auctor promoter, originator, author, from augēreto increase — more at eke, first known use in 14th century]