Foucault, Michel. 1982. The Subject and Power. The University of Chicago Press.
French philosopher Michel Foucault said, “The human subject is placed in relations of production and signification, he is equally placed in power relations which are very complex”（Foucault 1982, 778）. This sentence reminds me of power. Power is ever present in any society. Governments, institutions and corporations all wield power to varying degrees. At times this power is misused deliberately, and at times this power affords the wielder a degree of privilege, enabling a systemic form of abuse. From another perspective, Production can be studied using the tools of economics and history, while signification can be studied through linguistics and semantics. But what about power? It is possible to explore power relations through the theories of philosophers such as Foucault. As a photographer, however, I try to explore these ideas through images. So I think Foucault’s book was a start for my work. This is one of the readings that inspired me.
Bourdieu, Pierre. 1996. Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. Harvard University Press Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Pierre Bourdieu points out, “The primary differences, those which distinguish the major classes of conditions of existence, derive from the overall volume of capital, understood as the set of actually usable resources and powers–economic capital, cultural capital and also social capital”(Bourdieu 1996, 114). The so-called cultural capital largely refers to education, knowledge and so on, which we are familiar with. But beyond that, when we look closely at public spaces, it makes me think of chairs, and as an object with a very high rate of occurrence in public space, the chair undoubtedly belongs to the cultural capital in its form, quantity and quality. For example, in affluent communities or luxury shopping centres, chairs are often made of high-grade materials and are highly ornamental. At the same time, designers also consider functionality, such as designing them for single occupancy in places where privacy is required. When a user uses a chair, it is natural to feel that the chair reflects his or her high cultural status. In contrast, in relatively poor or resource-poor areas, chairs are often designed to be simple or austere. So, this brings me to a question. When the upper social classes, or people with power, are planning and designing these public spaces (which are also part of cultural capital), are they consciously distinguishing between different classes of people? Is cultural capital a form of power penetration?
Lefebvre, Henri. 1991. The Production of Space. Basil Blackwell Ltd.
“Space is social morphology: it is to lived experience what form itself is to the living organism, and just as intimately bound up with function and structure”（Lefebvre 1991, 94）. From this sentence by Henri Lefebvre, it is easy to see that the impact of space on our daily lives and experiences is as important as the impact of the body of our physical existence on our life activities. Conversely, space is not a “container” that is always static. It will change with the culture or activities of human society. In addition, it is an expression constructed from the complex behaviour of human society. Therefore, this so-called space or form is an excellent entry point if one wants to explore research methods concerning power. By exploring the form of space existence, we may be better able to understand how those people in power subtly control or guide people’s behaviour through space, which can lead to the abuse of power.
Rybczynski, Witold. 2016. Now I Sit Me Down: From Klismos to Plastic Chair: A Natural History
Witold Rybczynski’s book Now I Sit Me Down: From Klismos to Plastic Chair: A Natural History explores the history and evolution of chairs from antiquity to modern times. The book examines various types of chairs, their designs, and their cultural significance across time and societies. Rybczynski traces the evolution of the chair from the classic Krismus chair of Ancient Greece to the modern plastic chair, providing insights into how chairs have reflected the changing needs, technology, and aesthetics of their time. The author discusses not only the practical aspects of chair design, but also the social, economic, and cultural factors that have influenced its development. He uses chairs to understand wider historical and cultural trends such as changing social status. By combining history, design, and personal narrative, Rybczynski offers a comprehensive and engaging look at one of the most common pieces of furniture in our lives. It inspired my photography of chairs in public spaces. And it helped me understand the background and culture behind different types of chairs.
Kim, Hyung Jin, and Byoungwook Min. Power and Public Space: A Historical Observation of Seoul Plaza. Sustainability 11, no. 5 (2019): 1379-. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11051379.
This essay provides an insight into how power changes and shapes the public space in specific social and political contexts by observing the Seoul Plaza. By redefining power, the authors break away from the traditional view of power as a single instrument of control. The authors believe that power exists not only in the hands of a particular institution or person but also in the interaction between the market and the people. At the same time, the authors also think that power appears in a dynamic form and that it is an evolving process. In the case of Seoul Plaza, for example, from the authority-driven period of the colonial period to the later market-driven and then people-driven phases, the Plaza’s function and significance have evolved to reflect the social and political power structures of different historical periods. Therefore, this article made me realise that public space is not only part of the urban landscape but also an expression of political power. The expression of power in public space can be both ostensibly controlling and implicit (e.g. the social influence of certain cultural capital). Overall, this article provided me with the theoretical basis and ideas for photographing in public spaces.
VERGHESE, MANIJEH, and MADELEINE KESSLER. POWERS OF PUBLIC SPACE. AA Files, no. 78 (2021): 132–42.
Firstly, this article discusses the roles in urban public spaces and explores the importance of these roles in social and cultural contexts. Secondly, the author analyses how public space is shaped by power and social structures by observing the gradual privatisation of public space. And it reveals that public space is not only a place for public use but also a platform for political expression. In addition, the article points to the abuse of power and inequality caused by privatised public space, it highlights the problem of spatial segregation. I reckon the most inspiration for this article is that the author does not simply criticize the privatization of public spaces as a negative phenomenon. Instead, they suggest how to balance the use of urban spaces through redesigning these public spaces. This made me reflect on whether my photography should avoid simply criticising the abuse of power in public space. Instead, I should think more about how to cause the viewer to think about power through the photographs.
Lam, Stephanie Kwan Nga, and Andrew Yu. City of Skywalks: Exploring Hong Kong’s Public Space and Power of Discourse from Footbridges. Social Sciences (Basel) 11, no. 12 (2022): 546-. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11120546.
This article focuses on the role of footbridges in Hong Kong as part of urban public space in social discourse. Traditionally, a footbridge is supposed to be a structure to help pedestrians cross the street. But under the influence of the government and property developers, it has taken on the role of controlling the public and promoting consumption. This affects the use of urban space and social interaction to some extent. In the Hong Kong social movement of 2019, footbridges have even become a place for the public to express their politics. Many people posted slogans and artworks on the flyovers. This resulted in the flyovers becoming a battleground for the display of rights. Overall, the article analyses the renewed significance of the footbridge in the public and political discourse of citizens, exploring the complex relationship between public space and social power. This is closely related to my desire to explore the abuse of power through chairs in public space. This inspired me to reflect on my subject matter by photographing a number of chairs in the context of different political events.
Pettas, Dimitris. Power Relations, Conflicts and Everyday Life in Urban Public Space: The Development of ‘horizontal’ Power Struggles in Central Athens. City (London, England) 23, no. 2 (2019): 222–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/13604813.2019.1615763.
This essay explores the relations and conflicts of power in public space in the centre of Athens through close observation of two squares that exist in Athens. The authors point to the diverse features of conflicts in public space that affect the collective control of the space. In addition, the article explores the redefined public space that is produced through the struggle for horizontal relations. This is between individuals and groups that exist in similar classes. Through my photographs, I would like to engage a wider audience to revisit the dynamic changes of power in public space, especially those productions and transformations that are produced in informal interactions in everyday life. So I think this essay has given me great inspiration on how to define my photographs.
Weiwei Ai, Fairy Tales, 2007.Photography, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/ai-wei-wei/slideshow-ai-weiwei-art/
This artwork about chairs comes from Chinese artist Ai Weiwei (2007). He brought one thousand and one antique Chinese chairs to Kassel, Germany, for the 12th Documental Kassel (2007) in honour of 1,001 Chinese visitors. It is part of his art project Fairy Tales. The chair is regarded as a symbol of power in traditional Chinese culture and in some other countries. The Chinese dragon chair, for example, gives absolute power to the person who sits on it. By placing these chairs, which represent power in ancient China, into the context of modern art, Ai Weiwei is challenging this traditional power structure and making the chair an object of reflection and critique. Ai Weiwei’s work invites the audience to understand that even as a symbol of power, it can be revisited. Alerting the audience to the presence of chairs in their lives in relation to power. It prompts people to think about the sources of power and its Infiltration throughout social structures via objects, which is very inspiring for my project
Aziz Sohail / Stranger Intimacy: Queer Curating in/of/with Empire, Settler Colonies and its ‘others’. https://rmit.instructure.com/courses/139025/pages/week-12-aziz-sohail-slash-stranger-intimacy-queer-curating-in-slash-of-slash-with-empire-settler-colonies-and-its-others?module_item_id=6629779
The most interesting ideas in the lecture for me were definitely the concepts of “queer time” and “migrant time.” They really challenge the typical way we think about time, like how society expects us to follow a certain path—school, career, marriage, and so on. But for queer people and migrants, their lives often don’t fit into these neat timelines. For example, migrants might experience time differently while waiting for visas or legal status, and queer individuals might choose to live outside of traditional milestones like marriage or having kids.
What I found fascinating was how time is more than just days and years—it’s also shaped by our experiences, identities, and the systems we live under. It made me think about how society’s expectations of time can feel limiting for certain groups, and how redefining time could be a way of resisting those pressures.
The way the lecture used art to explore these ideas was also really cool. It wasn’t just about theory—through art, these ideas felt more personal and relatable. It showed how people use creative expression to reflect on their own journeys of identity and belonging, and that made everything more impactful for me.