Visionaries

PHOEBE PORTER
Utopia is a vision of the ideal way to live in an ideal environment/place and society.
This beautiful vision is inherently unattainable, as societies are complex and citizens
ultimately have contradictory desires that cannot be simultaneously realised. What
constitutes the ideal way to live, or utopian state, depends upon each individual’s
beliefs, values and predilections. Even for the individual, there are competing
elements of our complicated lives that can feel hard to balance in order to reach our
imagined perfect lifestyles. This is a central tension embodied within the concept
of Utopia. Striving to achieve a state of Utopia requires the careful balance of
competing values to attain a harmonious society and/or a harmonious life.
This concept of “balance” is the central theme I wish to explore as the 2019 Designer
in Residence. As a metaphor it can be interpreted in many different ways. On a
personal level, many of us struggle to balance our passions, commitments and
responsibilities in a way that feels satisfying and sustainable for a meaningful life.
This same tension underpins broader systems such as city planning whether it be the
tension between providing enough housing while retaining green and open spaces,
or between providing fast transport solutions while retaining a beautiful civic centre.
Phoebe Porter, Elements of Balance,
2019,aluminium, titanium, 750 yellow gold,
720 x 230 x 45mm. Photo: Art Atelier.
$4,700