ROAMING BOARDER LANDS
❶ Mind
❷ Birds Eye
umarts focus
research 2025
VISUAL RESEARCH
Spiritual Picture Tube
3 march 2024
New spiritual functions of scraps of past focal points of the living room and family dynamics: a work that merges the fire places, tv tubes, netflix, iphones all together. It symbolizes the evolution from traditional to self-chosen family structures, championing feminist and queer perspectives through technology and the remnants of past domestic ideals.
The focal point in the living room, from the fireplace to the television, reflects broader societal and technological changes. Each shift represents not just a change in architectural or interior design preferences but also in how family members interact with each other and consume media or entertainment. The fireplace was a central gathering spot for warmth and conversation, reinforcing the idea of the family as a close-knit unit engaging directly with one another. The television introduced a more passive form of entertainment, potentially reducing direct interaction but still keeping family members gathered in a single room, sharing experiences.
Some of us live still live among these ghosts of the past, architecture and infrastructures in our homes reflecting the concept of the atomic family, which gained prominence in the mid-20th century. This was in sync with the idea of the fireplace as a central element in the living room, symbolizing warmth and family togetherness. This alignment wasn't coincidental but rather a reflection of the societal values and aspirations of the time. These designs also played a role in reinforcing and perpetuating the suppression of women by limiting their spaces for independence and personal development.
As we consider what might come next the traditionally understood nuclear family (with a breadwinner father, a homemaker mother, and their biological children), has seen its definition expand and evolve to include a wide array of family structures, including single-parent families, blended families, poly-families and queer chosen families, among others. This diversification in family structures is mirrored in the diversification of entertainment and communication technologies.
The living room can evolve into a hub for community support and shared resources, reflecting queer feminist principles of mutual aid and collective care.