Public defence in Contemporary Art, MFA Ali Mousavi

The title of the thesis: Beautiful Rotten Tehran. A Multi-Sensory Artistic Research On Contemporary Urban Design in Tehran (Pardis Phase 11)

Doctoral student: Ali Mousavi
Opponent: Prof. Pamela Karimi, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, US
Custos: Prof. Mira Kallio-Tavin, Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Department of Art and Media

The subject of my research was multi-sensory study of Urban Design and Architectural change in Tehran, Iran. The purpose of the research was to create an artistic monograph that is accessible to academic and non-academic audiences. The research intends to contribute to critical spatial practices across different disciplines including cultural studies, urban design, housing studies and the built environment. In this regard, the research is relevant to the field of studies mentioned above. The issues and crisis around housing is developing rapidly and more people are being pushed to periphery of cities. With this in mind, this multi-sensory research project examines the condition of Iranian urban design and uses regression-progression method which is a movement between the past and present. The constant move between the historical and contemporary condition sheds light and provides better understanding of current issues that Iranian urban design and built environment is facing. Additionally, the inquiry of this multi-sensorial research delves into specific location close to the city of Tehran, Iran, called Pardis Phase 11. Employing visual, cartography, acoustemological methodologies, interview and discussions with residents of Pardis Phase 11 provides new insight and information on analysing and observing the condition of life of this sub-urban social housing construction. In this regard, multi-sensory methodologies employed in this research as a tool for analysing and observing architecture, urban design can be applied to any built environment, city and housing area. The conclusion that can be drawn from such multi-sensorial research can provide: A) a combination of understanding how senses are influenced by built form and how urban designers, architects, policy makers and other agencies involved in shaping the cities ought to consider the sense faculty of inhabitants; B) The research also attempts to show that imposing/applying external concepts and methods between different societies should consider internal logic of that society and other factors such as history, tradition, and cultural values. The combination of internal logic and external concepts without contextualisation does not create a dialectical development and process. Moreover, this may result in creating a conflictual and contradictory space devoid of any historical and cultural background particular to that society.

Thesis available for public display 10 days prior to the defence at: https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/doc_public/eonly/riiputus/

Contact information:

Doctoral theses in the School of Arts, Design and Architecture: https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/54
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