Helen + Hard programme

“Civilization occasionally progresses: Is there any more wonderful object, has technology ever created a more devine device than the trampolin?”
Michel Serres “Les cinq sens”

“ L'art du déplacement is a type of freedom. It is a kind of expression, trust in you. I do not think there is a clear definition for it. When you explain it to people, you say: yes I climb, I jump, I keep moving! It is the definition! But no one understands. They need to see things. It is only a state of mind. It is when you trust yourself, earn an energy. A better knowledge of your body, be able to move, to overcome obstacles in real world, or in virtual world, things of life. Everything that touch you in the head, everything that touch in your heart. Everything touching you physically.”
“About the philosophy of Parkour” —Châu Belle Dinh

The project is an investigation in the relation between play and cities.

It is an attempt to develop the city not through abstract models, masterplans, studies of infrastructure, program, and forms of densification etc., but through an immediate, corporal, sensual, fast, intelligent and intuitive contact:
through play or through creating conditions for play.

Key Questions:
What kind of an environment allows and encourages play?
What does play need in various settings, for various players?
How can play change our way of experiencing, using and understanding the public domain? ( e.g.Parkour)
How can it enrich and determinate city-development?
How can it infiltrate and transform existing city- scape?

Topics:
playstreets, playsubway, playhousing, playoffices, playshops, playsubway, playscapes, playgrounds, playmuseum etc.

Atterrissage reception, Équilibre Équilibre de chat, Franchissement, Lâché, Passe muraille, Passement ,Demitour, Passement ,Saut de chat, Planche Roulade, Saut de bras, Saut de fond, Saut de détente Saut de precision, Tic tac etc.

Brief idea about the process:
Each student chooses an area in Paris which is under development or in a state of transformation.
Hereafter she/he will develop/ perform experiments related to the theme in order to develop the chosen area.
The experiments have to result in an urban intervention reflecting the theme,

A more precise project-description will follow later.