hypernature

The concept of hypernature is well illustrated in MVVA's Tear Drop Park. There is an amplification of "nature" and a purposeful composition of seemingly overwhelming "natural" elements in the park (i.e. the stone wall). Tear Drop pulls on natural elements of the region and intensively juxtaposes them with the contrasting urban vernacular. The sensory experience of walking through the park is powerful and the elements one perceives are, at first, out of place for the context of an urban stroll. However, it is this uniqueness that makes the park memorable and has the power to make people think outside the box, so to speak.

This idea of hypernature can make us think. The next question is can it make us act?

Note: I recently read 'Sustaining beauty. The performance of appearance' by Elizabeth Meyer from JOLA 2006 and was intrigued by her discussion on hypernature and how it relates to beauty and the sustainability discourse. I intend to delve more into the concepts covered in this paper in the near future.