In history, numerous movements and ways of thinking have been created in different fields included art, literature, philosophy and architecture etc. Many authors or artists have been written or criticised about modernism, constructivism, cubism, post-modernism or different metanarratives. The books which are ‘The postmodern condition’, ‘Simulacra and simulation’ and ‘All that is solid melts into air” actually critised those issues. All of them were written by different authors and they talk about various thoughts. But there is something which connects them somehow in a same way. They have relation about modernism, passing to post-modernism and metanarratives and three of them argue those thoughts’ discrepancy.
‘Simulacra and simulation’ was written by French sociologist and philosopher Jean Baudrillard. According to some resources he was a Marxist, and critised Marxism too. Then he turned to postmodernism. In this book, he is questioning our living way and reality somehow. He claim that many things about our lives included thinking ways, beliefs, emotions, our view points, our attitudes to the life etc. may not actually ours. We supposed that all these things actually our decisions and we have free will. But, they may not be. For example, when we look at something and then we think that it’s so beautiful. What if this decision that we say ‘it’s beautiful’ is not our own decision. What if someone make us think like in this way. Thus, Baudrillard questioning this reality. They could be like illusion. There is a confusion between the reality and image ‘public opinion’. He gave various examples from different fields while explaining that argue. Some people direct us and we may not be aware of it. To give a simple example; when we enter to a greengrocer, we see some vegetables like some lettuce. And on those lettuces, we see water droplets. Then, we think that ‘Okay, it’s a good one, let’s buy it”. So, we supposed that this one is fresh and well reared one. However, it may not a fresh one. This vegetable seller make us think that to buy it. So, he creates a perception on our minds. It calls simulation and this lettuces are simulacra. This example actually was a really simple one. When we talk about in a big way; too many perception operations and simulations could be observed not just in the field of trade but also in politic, metanarratives, economy, social life etc.
The previous example is a small part of consumption. This issue really dominated us in society. We have become a consumer society. Baudrillard was also talked about this consumerism. Actually, this simulations and consumerism are really related to each other. They effect themselves. In social life, we see too many commercials and posters etc, in all around the areas where we live. Television channels, commercials in cell phones, social media accounts or even the people we see around us affect us unconsciously. For instance when we see some clothes from a brand, we feel that we like it and should have it. We may think that buying these clothes is actually our own decision. But we are not aware of that someone directed us to this brand and this type of clothes (its colour or design). For example, everybody can claim that brown colour is autumn’s colour and we should wear these kind of colours in autumn not in summer. Is it a reality of something? Who decided it? These kind of ‘rules’ or percept have been formed in time. Then, many of us are not aware of it. Actually that kind of idea also serve to capitalism and neoliberalism which is truly related to consumerism. So these kind of ways of thinking and economic practices are also related that idea which the author talk about. When we talk about this economic understanding, neoliberalism was developed to prevent the monopolization system (capitalism) and being destroyed as long last. To my way of thinking, neoliberalism is actually a softened state of capitalism. In other words, the unfavourable sides of the capitalism is still existed, but it was transformed in a softer form. For instance, the hours of working were been decreased and employees were insured. But while doing that, they also transform worker to consumer. For example, everybody can have branded shoes, televisions at their homes or cars. Reaching to these kind of things have become easy but, we all became a consumer. We feel that we need many things and consume too much. We have become as a consumption society more and more. And, alienation to labour is still existed. We all become estranged to labour.
This consumption simulation is not just in the field of industry. It’s also related somehow art and architecture too. For example in modernism, a different movement rose up. Some artists like painters draw a simple line or drop some paints on a toile. And they call it art. Thousands of people invested millions on that art work. So, in that situation, some people claim that this is not an art. They open art’s heart or inside. They ignore labour and alienate to it. So these people think that this modernism act is a production or result of capitalism and this consumerism. Also that kind of consuming situations happened in the field of architecture too. Some companies produce similar buildings or houses like all of them were produced in a same factory. They look like boxes and aligned side by side. Then, these companies make thousands of commercial, broadcast etc. They create a perception (simulation act) on people to make them buy it. So this architecture work move away from an artistic concern and function. Then people think that these houses are safe and comfortable according to these commercials. They have bought more and more. When we give an example from Turkey. Toki houses are really compatible this simulation view. All houses and buildings are same and because of the commercials people continue to buy and live in there. Also too many residences have been designed and produced which creates a perception on people. They commercialize this residential life is luxury and living in the high floors, seeing the ‘amazing’ view are good. So, people start to think that they should live in this kind of living area and building. Commercials and all other factors affect us unconsciously or consciously.
For example, too many companies like Ağaoğlu, Mesa etc. produce similar buildings all around Istanbul. Many of them haven’t an architectural concern or other people lives. These kind of structures affect the city’s silhouette, nature and neighborhood.
When we give an example form history, there was a similar architectural and art movement in Soviet Russia which was effected by a meta-narrative like Marxism. This meta-narrative made a perception on people to believe that big thinking way. These kind of big thoughts had also some simulations. People may suppose that thinking in that way is their own decision but some people make them believe this movement and affect them. That movement has also some impacts in the field of art and architecture. Constructivism rose up in that period and artists creates some posters and commercials by using this idea. It was also used in politic (soviet commercials) too. They create some perceptions in terms of politic on people by using art.
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In Russia, constructive art was used to make propaganda of politic (Soviet) in the image 1 and 2. In the 1st image a red triangle drill a black shape. That red triangle symbolizes Soviets (military) and the black one is German Nazis. It means Soviets break German’s power and expansion and go into it.
In the image 3 and 4 their political leader speak to his people from the high floor. This work also related with art (poster) and architectural products (image 3).
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It also reflected to architecture and their cities’ design too. Because of their understanding (Soviets) that everybody should have same opportunities, same living conditions (equality in society), buildings and residential areas look similar (Image 5-6). They look like produced from same factory. Their cities have colorful buildings but they have same conditions and function. Thus, they go towards to postmodernism. And soviet planning of the cities reflect postmodern art and design. With the developing technology, consuming society (buying, selling and rent) and overcrowding of cities, too many problems were occurred. So, these cities needed to be planned and designed well. In that point, Soviets created a ‘planning idea’ for their cities. They used some slogans like “To change live change the city”. In other words, the idea of a new life and social organization must first be transformed into cities. The communal houses have been tried to organize communal experiences. (Image 5-6) So it is called a postmodern city. (Image 7-8) Then they indoctrinated that idea to their people. To my way of thinking, this kind of act is also a simulation which is the result of meta-narrative like Marxism.
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When we turn back to the simulations and simulacra, from all these views of thinking we could say that we have lost our ability of own decisions and reality. It turn into perceptions and simulations. These things become to a breaking point in postmodernism.
Leyla Yildiz
Credits:
‘Simulacra and simulation’ by Jean Baudrillard
‘Reversals of the postmodern and the late Soviet simulacrum in the Baltic Countries’
by Epp Annus and Robert Hughes
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