IDW 2019

by Traumnovelle rituals of citizenship / allegiance to a post-nation world by Henry Ng and Isaiah Miller common ground “One thing States tend to is the continuation of their own existence” Iain Banks, The Player of Games, 1988 Methodological nationalism posits that nation-states - and their boundaries - are at the roots of the definition of identities. Yet, at a time when cultures are becoming more enclosed and more global, we need new definitions of belonging and citizenship. The state of liminality describes a period of transition between two definitions of the self ; it implies the suspension of a previous identity, the dissolution of order which enables new structures to emerge. Rites of passage give rise to the new self in its belonging to a different social group, and mark the acceptance of new rights and duties. They are political tools of transformation of the self aimed at maintaining existing social and power structures. What if these rituals could become tools for political transformation? How can we define rituals of citizenship, both individual and collective, which testify to a shift from the nation- state to a new political paradigm of universality? “Rituals of Citizenship” will simultaneously explore the underlying values, hopes and dreams of this post-nation-state world, as well as both the social practices and spaces which support these values. What is it to be a citizen? What are the secular temples of this global citizenship? But above all, what are the universal values which can offer un-hegemonic unity? In 2017, years of drought and record high temperatures sparked wildfires across the Western United States, burning over 34,000 km 2 — an area larger than the country of Belgium. Los Angeles is facing the worst fires in modern history, reminiscent of the great fires in Chicago, London and Tokyo in previous centuries. The traditional solutions for containing fire in dense cities are ineffective in the sprawling network of dry landscape and detached houses. The very California urbanism that has become an icon of the American dream has magnified its vulnerability. Climate experts are calling these patterns of extreme, destructive weather the “New Normal”. The severe effects that have been predicted as the world warms to the critical 2°C threshold, such as mass drought and flooding, are already here. Addressing climate change today requires not only mitigation through carbon reduction, but also adaptation to a world in transition. Just asthe burning of Chicago in 1871 cleared the way for the modern city, there is opportunity today to reimagine the shared environment of tomorrow. Collective intelligence and action are needed to rethink the networks, infrastructure, and ecologies of our cities. Common Ground asks participants to design a model community in the Hollywood Hills that is protected against seasonal wildfire. The workshop looks to fire as an opportunity to bolster our urban networks and to imagine new forms of networked resilience and collectivity. Participants will explore the idea of boundary at multiple scales, between the natural vs manmade, individual vs collective, and protected vs vulnerable.