Seminar 4

KASIA JACKOWSKA UND KATHARINA THALMANN

 

SNAPS AND STORIES ARE POSTCARDS 

Many of us keep sending postcards every day – as social media stories – capturing what caught our eye: a photo or short film, accompanied by a line or two. We personalise the message with GIFs and choose from a few available fonts or photo filters. The recipients: a circle of friends and acquaintances, or anyone who clicks on it. There used to be musical cards, where the receiver could play music from an integrated mini-phonograph or play the depicted notes themselves to recreate a certain feeling; now, music is added to stories on social media. 

Omnipresent technology is replacing traditional postcards, yet the need to share one’s impressions remains unchanged since they emerged in the mid-19th century. 

In fact, paper postcards are an endangered species – in some countries, already extinct. Denmark discontinued its postal service after 400 years, so the Danes will never again receive a real-life postcard. 

We think it’s a pity: isn’t it joyous to find old postcards in a box, see the handwriting, side notes on the photos, and an exotic stamp? This sentiment shaped the seminar›s physical form. The content is much closer to architecture studies than one might first think. 

POSTCARDS AS A RESEARCH TOOL 

Writing a short, personalised message about where we are and how we feel about it, complemented by a chosen image, is a great way to describe a place throughout the process of learning about it. In the “Liebe Grüsse aus Luzern” seminar (“Warm Regards from Luzern”), we’ll be looking at the same territories you’ll be analysing and transforming in the design course. 

The series of postcards you’ll create in the seminar will focus on aspects of the urban landscape that are often overlooked when using efficient, professional analytical methods, yet are crucial for describing how the space is perceived on both analytical and emotional levels. Adopting the viewpoints of various imaginary senders fosters playfulness and a departure from usual ways of thinking. 

READ BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS 

A city does not consist only of buildings; the space between them is equally, if not more, important. The topic has been extensively described by many urban designers, sociologists and environmental psychologists, with some even coining recipes for successful outdoor spaces. We won›t be looking for solutions; we’ll just be looking at things, visible and invisible alike. 

While acknowledging that the invisible is nothing new in classic urban theory – Kevin Lynch states that every city is mirrored in the minds of its inhabitants through a set of mental images – we’ll explore Luzern using methods drawn from other fields. 

LEARNINGS FROM ANTHROPOLOGISTS 

Clifford Geertz is an American anthropologist who coined the term “thick description” as a method for deepening understanding of the observed by viewing it in the broader framework, from a subjective perspective, without establishing any hierarchy. 

In simple terms: “Thick description”: don’t just record what is happening—interpret what it means within its cultural context, falling into the trap of heuristics. 

A heuristic is a mental shortcut that allows an individual to make a decision, pass judgment, or solve a problem quickly and with minimal mental effort; it helps us efficiently navigate everyday life, but it is the greatest obstacle to a true understanding of anything new or well-known. 

We’ll be working to overcome cognitive biases using playful methods. Describing the space with mismatched vocabulary or from an untypical point of view, in drawings or short poems, opens the door to a deeper understanding of the given territory and, in turn, helps take the right decisions in the semester project.

The presence of exchange students, who do not know Luzern as Swiss students do, is a great opportunity for everyone to see the city with fresh eyes and question what we take for granted; it’s the first step towards making informed decisions in architecture and urban design.

EVERYONE CAN AND SHOULD DRAW

A good drawing is one that depicts precisely the seen reality, as taught in schools; we do not agree with this and would like to introduce you to speed-drawing and haptic drawing. The term refers to haptics – the sense of physical touch – but is used to describe all non-visual perceptions of reality.

Drawings are an efficient way to communicate without having to search for the right words or complicated descriptions: compare writing a text explaining a floor plan with making a sketch of it! “Haptic drawing” works similarly to a “thick description”: it adds an emotional layer to the observed by emphasising one’s focus and feelings.

Speed drawing is about choosing what matters most, as the short time does not allow for capturing all the details.

We’ll be practising the methods from the seminar workshops to demonstrate that everyone can capture meaningful content through drawings and overcome the inhibitions that hold them back from communicating through lines and colours.

WORDS DON’T COME EASY TO ME

Many architects fall into standard phrases when asked to write. Banal adjectives seldom mirror their thoughts in an accurate manner. By introducing a range of literary texts, we aim to inspire participants to explore new ways of expression. Handwriting facilitates adding additional layers of meaning to the written words: combining words with drawings, using different pens, lettering, and non-linear compositions are at one’s fingertips.

DR. JECKYLL & MR. HYDE: CURATING THE FREE FLOW

A spontaneous, free-flowing approach, without worrying about the end result, enables putting a lot of content on paper quickly. A careful, analytical look at the output allows for separating the wheat from the chaff and opens new, often surprising perspectives on how to proceed.

This way of working requires looking at one’s own work as if it were someone else’s. We’ll practice curating in small groups during the workshops. This allows one to benefit from diverse opinions while learning to reflect on one’s own and others’ work simultaneously.

LIMITATIONS ENFORCE PRECISION

The formal constraints of a postcard impose thoughtful choices about how to deliver content in an engaging and clear way. Breaking down complex matters to what matters most is a crucial skill for creating powerful project presentations and for a streamlined design process.

WHY IS THIS TEXT IN ENGLISH?

The seminar is open to “indigenous” HSLU students and exchange students alike. While drawing will be the main medium of the course, the input will be delivered in English, with impromptu translations for anyone who needs them. The language of discussions and coaching in smaller groups will depend on participants’ preferences, so no student feels left behind.

ABOUT US

Katharina Thalmann studied classical piano at the Hochschule Luzern. Her Master of Arts thesis, completed at Hochschule Luzern and mdw Vienna, was devoted to the analysis of Hugo Wolf’s “Mörike Songs”. As part of the work, she asked various artists to paint postcards inspired by given musical fragments. The postcard form and the seminar title are inspired by her professional activities, such as her work as a copywriter and deputy editor-in-chief, before she turned to landscape architecture and became a partner at BÖE Studio; the research content is fueled by both.

Kasia Jackowska is part of the second-year design studio teaching team. In addition to her professional work as an architect and academic teacher, she pursues the visual arts (drawing, painting, photography). Her work for corporate clients, spanning journalism and advertising, together with her experience in large architecture studios, has trained her in the concise com-munication of concepts. In the seminars, she researches with students the advantages of non-architectural methods for understanding and depicting urban territories.

OUR INSPIRATIONS

The workshops will be accompanied by mini-lectures, in which we’ll introduce you to concepts and works that have inspired our thinking about territories, as well as examples of texts and drawings that may inspire your postcards. Among others, we’ll discuss works by Apollinaire, Matsuo Bashō, Patty Smith, Kevin Lynch, Ian McEwan, Benozzo Gozzoli, Ernest Hemingway, Hugo Wolf, Tihomir Popovic, Luigi Ghirri, Clifford Geertz, Donna Haraway, Bêka & Lemoine, and Teju Cole.

YOUR OUTPUT

Each student submits individual work: a set of postcards and a schematic map.

Everything done in the seminar (except for digital photos, which serve as notes) will be hand-drawn and written.

The postcards aim to describe a territory through a collection of fragments. The students will adopt the viewpoints of various imaginary senders and address their statements to imaginary recipients on chosen topics.

The map is a reflective tool and will be introduced in the second half of the course.

EXPLORE & LEARN

• New ways of looking at things
• New ways to describe them
• Communicating ideas
• Storytelling
• Drawing with ease and pleasure
• Drawing techniques