Henri Lefebrve: Writings on Cities. Chapter: Seen from the window. P219-227

Henri Lefebrve 1901-1991

French western Philosopher socialist Marxist. 'Critiques of everyday life' first published in 1961, theory of moments  (chapter 6 page 634) he writes about his definition of 'constellations of moments' as a certain specific duration in time that is held in a memory.  He defines a 'moment' and analysis moments and talks about moments and the everyday.

In his Theory of Moments Chapter:

He writes about the constellations of a moment being made up of love, play rest, knowledge, comfort, food, warmth, touch, smell, light hearted chat. ( which i relate to also as Hygge). Constellation of moments are states of joy contentment that is memorable from the day.

He describes moments as embrionic in form, difficult to clarify. 
A moment, essentially stands out from the present, often shared and weaves itself into the fabric of the day.  

He describes the form of a moment in time and spaces as being a sense, as an expression, a choice to see it has to be taken.  

A moment is a captured essence of something you have chosen to feel, see and experience.

Being in the act of living, capturing the essance of a moment uniting with the everyday.
It is about transforming something unforseen into something new that overcomes triviality.

These photos was taken during Covid19 lockdown. 

 

 
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He links to human geography ( David Harvey, Dolores Hayden and Edward soja) The notion of special justice. There are different modes of production of space-natural.. social, imaginary,(now cyber space, junkspace)

He argues that space is a social product based on values of social production.

Urban space is a production of capitalism. ( I am identifying the Erik Erikson pschoanatic term 'dystonic' here, and Henri is asking how we can create the 'syntonic' Henri is searching for the syntonic..) Space is also means of control and power. Every society produces its own space suitable for itself.  New social special relations demand a new space and vice versa. Rhythms.

Writings on Cities.

Chapter: Seen from the window. P219-227

Evokes a busy space.

A manifesto to reflect on artists work and question the nature of the city.

It is a study on how urban space and capitalism come together.  He was interested in surrealism fleeting encounters in the city.

Situationism (1958) revolutionised the way of working in the city against capitalism. Transformations of time and space lived moments- psychogeography.  Mapping of life/ manifesto of life- playing and eating defined expansion of building the city from 70’s onwards. The 60’s time is situated in this time of new urbanism proposing different new ways of living – utopia (super contemporary  june-oct 2009 – the design museum) transformational new urbanism of the 60’s. How do we create syntoninicity ?

Rhythm analysis

Social, physical, cosmic and  reciprocal, dialectical undulations, ways of thinking about time. A plurality to understand our complex lives theories of moments, interplay between the body and architecture (two opposites). A means to understand itself through expanding modernisation ie globally – Olympics. 95% of people will be living in the City, so we need to find new ways to live/build the city. How to create syntonic environments.

Capitalism is in contempt of the body. Drawing together the poets and … to develop relations, independence within the city.

The transformation of the everyday experience through sensual touch, sound, aesthetics, chance encounters, experience of metal and architecture.

The contemporary relevance to this text-is the expansion of urban life/space. Harder to live in cities. Navigating over whelming crowds and multi cultures.

The language of globalisation similitude- trying to globally make each City the same, but its impossible until we are all of one culture.

Judith Rugg.

Mass consumerism and mass media is like ‘visual fragra’!

The Theory of Moments and the Construction of Situations

http://www.cddc.vt.edu/sionline/si/moments.html

For example, Lefebvre speaks of the "moment of love." From the point of view of the creation of moments, from the situationist point of view, one must envisage the moment of a particular love, of the love of a particular person. Which means: of a particular person in particular circumstances.

The maximum "constructed moment" is the series of situations attached to a single theme — that love for a particular person — a "situationist theme" is a realized desire. In comparison to Henri Lefebvre's moment, this series of situations is particularized and unrepeateable, yet greatly extended and relatively durable in comparison to the unique-ephemeral instant.

In analyzing the "moment," Lefebvre has revealed many of the fundamental conditions of the new field of action across which a revolutionary culture may now proceed: as when he remarks that the moment tends toward the absolute and departs from it. The moment, like the situation, is simultaneously proclamation of the absolute and awareness of passing through it. It is, in actual fact, on the path toward a unity of the structural and the conjectural; and the project for a constructed situation could also be defined as an attempt at structuring the conjunction between the two.

The "moment" is mainly temporal, forming part of a zone of temporality, not pure but dominant. Articulated in relation to a given place, the situation is completely spatio-temporal (cf. A. Jorn on the space-time of life, and A. Franklin on the plane-ification of individual existence.) Moments constructed into "situations" might be thought of as moments of rupture, of acceleration, revolutions in individual everyday life. On a more extended — more social — spatial level, an urbanism that almost exactly corresponds to Lefebvre's moments, and to his idea of choosing these and leaving them behind at will, has been proposed in the "states-of-the-soul quarters" (cf. "Formulary for a New Urbanism" By G. Ivain, Internationale Situationniste #1) — disalienation being the explicit goal behind the arrangement of the "Sinister Quarter."

Lefebrve as strategy:

In order to grow and develop we need to be challenged, this is how the text suggests to start looking as an individual.

·      What is the rhythm in my studio?

·      How do I move around it? An I in a routine?

·      How do I start my day, my work?

·      What do I do first?

·      How do I move my body around-happily, quickly, frantic, calm?

·      Where do my creative thoughts start- in the studio, at home, in bed, when I wake?

·      What is the rhythm of my body when I am creating/making, harmony?

·      What other rhythm are going on inside me? (Helen Cisoux)

·      What other rhythms are around me?

·      Do the collide or move together?

·      What triggers my creative rhythm?

·      What conditions do I need to be in?

·      Are these the same as before ( pre degree)?

·      Is my creative rhythm habitual, continual, priority?

·      How does architecture, capitalism effect my creativity?

·      What historical rhythms influence me, physically and internally?

·      When do I want to breath these rhythms?

·      What do I do with this information if I find the answers?

·      How important is this information?