The question of gentrification The question of gentrification is made complex by the fact that the urban qualities it produces—lively street life, profuse commerce, preservation and upgrading of old buildings—are highly desirable, the substrate of urbanity. The problem with gentrification is with its particulars and with its effects. Gentrification suppresses reciprocity by its narrowed scripting of formal and social behavior, by turning neighborhoods into Disneylands or Colonial Williamsburgs, where residents become cast members and the rituals of everyday life become spectacle or food for consumption. Michael Sorkin, 20 Minutes in Manhattan gentrificationurbanism
Meltdown Show image 0 Show image 1 Show image 2 I created Meltdown in 2012, inspired by the 2011 earthquake in Japan. The earthquake caused an enormous tsunami, which struck and demolished the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, Japan. A massive amount of radiation was released and contaminated the environment. Ikeda Manabu, Chazen Museum of Art chazen.wisc.edu The castle takes flight