(I visited three buildings in a city today and began thinking about the relationship and their place within society, still a work in progress and a wee bit rubbish but hey ho)
The Museum
Inside the hallow marble halls of learning, the guarded treasures of a country sleep. The kept safe former belongings and commodities of a nation state from long ago, kept secure behind the ‘touch not’ invisible etiquette lines of behavour. The collections of files and learning, the cases and hangings of a society treasures from past to almost present. The quiet air of the big wide rooms, the still but respectable breezes that flow from space to space. The nodding quieting pace of those consumers, respectfully approaching a peace of art before viewing, approving and moving on to the next. The muffled steps of one see’er to the next, the steady consuming nature of this space. The respectful graces that demands the silence, tranquil and intolerances of out sider movements of life. The world moves on from beyond these walls but inside the air is kept in this historical moment, persevered for past generations in these marble settings.
The High Street shop
The busyness, the liveness of activities, of movement, of the go, go, go of ‘to the next’ as the consumers in this space move, always constantly traveling like the items on the shelves. As they flutter from one row to the next, looking, seeing, constantly browsing. Not necessity taking in but gazing and observing in this space, possible wondering if they would find it cheaper online. The fast pace of motion which is matched by the swing, swing, swing of the till and the door. As the opening of one is followed by the other, the never ending stream of new and must see and the every presents of the ‘SALE’ sticker upon an item on the shelves. The air is filled with the flash of the stock exchange and consumer, capitalist society that depends upon the ‘buy more now’ or the halls of commerce would fail and fall. The air also filled with many twangling noises of the latests musical recordable star, promoted by an industry and a state that fakes popularity and presents it to society for its ‘likes’.
The tech
Now this consumerism is different, this shop is clean, its sleek , its bright but not crowded, helpful young to middle aged stand around in jeans and matching tops. Ready to help, ready to chat but seemingly lastly to sell. This is the shop of technology, the shop that offers the newest, brightest, shiniest of items. The products that follow’s Mr Moore’s law which states they must get smaller and faster each year. These products which are then developed in the new valleys of California and made upon the former rice fields of China. Then in turn follow the linear line of advertisement which state “Hey you, buy this thing, it make you smarter, healthy’er, cooler, hipper, happier. All of you’re dreams would just happen” as long as you buy this new operation of binary. That is until the next product comes out. This land is the home of the new sliver screens, where everyone is an artist, producer, singer and person of creativity. These products are sold to define you not just aid you, you become a product tech operator and display it to all you’re friends as the endless updates and mirror worlds of society media is recorded and sent away into the invisible space of the web. As it leads us all to the new temple of the crowd’s that tread towards the new Wigan pier.
Dai 