Drawing the square - queered: Phenomenological thoughts through a graphic novel

Sammanfattning

Imagine worlds and engage in design through telling stories. - Jiminez Lai. The traditional role of the architect, and architecture itself, is evolving into an increasingly interdisciplinary profession. Where the language of how architects articulate and research their ideas has become more diversified. In cartoons you are dancing on the line of narrative and representation, where the activity in the frames, the populated drawings, could be viewed as an architectural program. More importantly, this drawing medium affords the possibility of incorporate representation, theory, fantasy, criticism, storytelling and design. The aim with this thesis is to investigate the possibilities and strategies available with in this medium. To investigate this medium, a narrative is set for this thesis. The narrative functions as a method, meaning that the narrative favours the composition of the cartoon and pushes the thesis forwards. The narrative revolves around the question: Can the square be queered? As where the comic takes departure in phenomenology’s perception of orientation. This philosophical school of thoughts provides resources for thinking of orientation and how bodies reside in space. If orientation is a matter of how we reside in space, then sexual orientation might also be a matter of residence? This is the question that Sara Ahmed ask herself in the introduction of her book Queer Phenomenology (2006) where she seeks ways to make phenomenology queer or to detect queer moments that is existing in the writings of phenomenologists. Ahmeds work functions as a base point, the main reference for the theoretical context for this thesis. The sought-after result is a graphic novel that researches the question asked above, as it simultaneously investigates how and if design iterations can be carried out within the medium of cartoons. The test bed for this narrative is Stigbergstorget, an urban square in the city weave of Gothenburg. In this thesis, Stigbergstorget will work as the space which the narrative revolves around and where thoughts are tested out.