Framed, Therefore Real

by Ecem Ergin (@art_ik_er) Do you think architectural space makes people believe in something they would not believe in otherwise? This research explores the role of architectural space in conveying a message in both forms: physically situated and virtually distributed. Times Square of New York is used as the case for the investigation. The research aims to contribute to the debate around the trustworthiness of digital media and the importance of the urban environment as an informer of the publics. Since the 1960s “The medium is the message”, as McLuhan stated, but with the rise of the post-truth era, perhaps his definition requires an update. Due to lack of legislation in the virtual world, one might say media has started to refer to an uncanny territory. Intentionally or not, the logic behind new communication platforms has been promoting speculations rather than facts. On the other hand, the variety of the content an individual is exposed to in a regular day has reached an unprecedented diversity. Moreover, the erosion (even absence) of the narrator of these messages has been causing a legitimisation problem. Here the policy makers may contribute as fact-checkers in the form of the physical public spaces. In other words, physical public spaces might be used as legitimisers of the messages that appear in them, because the governance and legislation of the built environment -albeit with some flaws- is well widely recognised by the public. This PhD research unfolds the potential outcomes of this correspondence. www.ecemergin.com Selected Publications Times Square in the Era of Post-Truth Politics Welcoming the Orange Collars: Robotic Performance in Everyday City Life