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Throughout human civilization cities have risen out of the landscape, from simple beginnings as small villages, then evolving into complex metropolises with many people, homes, and structures, before eventually fading back into the landscape they arose from. This is evident in ancient civilizations such as Machu Picchu, Babylon, Sukhothai, and Mesa Verde, all of which arose from the earth before eventually fading back into it. Here in Northeast Ohio, we have seen across history our success as burgeoning big cities through the industrial revolution, that then receded as the industries shifted to other locations. In the last 50 years our city’s identity has also shifted from heavily industry focused to now centered around healthcare and biotechnology, information technology, and aerospace and aviation. As the tide of recession and growth is seemingly shifting more upwards for northeast Ohio, this has caused me to question where our cities will be in the next 25-50 years and how long this new identity and growth will last. This project is an exploration of how cities evolve over time, rising from simple beginnings, and then eventually falling back into the landscape they originated from.
Through projected light onto found objects, this work explores themes of urban design, architecture, and entropy, to create a narrative of how cities Rise and Fall over time. Using a model train, with a modified light attached to it, this project reveals an endless loop or accession and recession of human civilizations.