Previous Themes
Prof. Sha Xin Wei ¥ http://topologicalmedialab.net/xinwei
This summer, several possible readings are proposed on the theme of morphogenesis:
The most agreeable may be Alexander volume 3, which describes his many building projects and working processes. However we'll bravely march into Petitot's essay from Naturalizing Phenomenology.
WINTER 2007
We read parts of C Alexander's Nature of Order, volume 1. Then we wandered into Perec, Lefebvre's Rhythmanalysis, GIns and Arakawa's Architectural Body, Husserl by way of David W. Smith, and ended with a bit of clay modeling.
FALL 2006
As background for understanding what "topological media" could mean, I propose to explore some poetics of mathematics.ÊÊIn particular, I propose (re)reading some or all of the following:
Petitot, Jean, "Morphological Eidetics for Phenomenology of Perception," Naturalizing Phenomenology: Issues in Contemporary Phenomenology and Cognitive Science, Ed. F. J. Varela J. Petitot, J.-M. Roy, B. Pachoud. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1999. 330-71.
plus selections from
Petitot, Jean, Morphogenesis of Meaning, European Semiotics, V. 3. Bern ; New York: P. Lang, 2004.
Thom, Rene, Structural Stability and Morphogenesis : An Outline of a General Theory of Models, Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Pub., 1989.
and perhaps :
Alain Badiou (on event), A.N. Whitehead (Process and Reality), William James ( Essays in Radical Empiricism), or Akeel Bilgrami. The chosen readings may shift radically and suddenly according to how the participants' discussion and related writing projects evolve.
You may use this as way to pursue your own advanced studies in say dynamical systems and performance, or perception and tactility as informed by haptic kinetic sculpture.