“A remarkable architecture of stairs”

2013
Multi-screen Video installation
Duration: 2.00 minutes

One day, around half-way through a residency in Shanghai I noted that I had spent much of my time either above ground in a multi-level building, below ground in the metro system or crossing major road junctions by way of an elevated footbridge. Henri Lefebvre’s Rhythmanalysis of Mediterranean Cities comments on the ‘remarkable architecture of stairs’ which “rhythm the walk through the city, while at the same time serving as a transition between different rhythms.” This struck a chord, as I realised how my time and rhythm altered between above ground, underground or walking at ground level.

Videos, filmed discreetly using a smartphone camera, chart my transition between these different levels and rhythms, via staircases and escalators.

The individual section that makes up the video installation can be viewed in more detail here.