According to Ackbar Abbas, generic cities are cities that lack a different and unique historic, cultural or social qualities; while a exorbitant city is a city that has many mixed characteristics. I remember a district council dispute in Hong Kong that was on a sculpture design. The artist insist that his artwork in the middle of the street was improving the artistic and cultural value of the area. However, the citizens in that area disagree and thought the design is bad. I think that the citizens had a stronger ground because artwork in city should be a public art. It should be judged by the scale of beauty of the public. Moreover, if the beauty of artwork does not cohere with the beauty of the people, the unity and thus beauty of city would be negatively affected, even if the artwork was recognized by artists. In many cities of China, city constructions are pretentiously artistic despite the fact that citizens are in poverty. One skyscraper appears in the middle of an aging district. Many of those districts are quite unique, say their tradition customs. However, the government chose to present the modern and generic skyscraper to tourists, making them exorbitant, but generic.
Wong Wai Ching
3035696004
Appreciate the examples that you brought in to reflect on the difference between exorbitant city and generic city. In both examples, the question of “ownership,” in your words “having the ground” underlies. Who’s artistic value and cultural value does it reflect and needs to reflect when it comes to art and building environment? The agency of building the environment has a much more complex take on than merely government authorities vs. local residents and tradition. Skyscraper as a building form that represents modern development, modernization, and technological advancement embodies aspirations towards development and cities. Thus, it might not only be the choice of the government in favor of the tourist but also in favor of the residences.
You have pointed out the underlying debate in the idea of a generic city. Generic city as an idea formulated out of globalization challenges the need for context and history as a base in the development process of a city, rationalizing the homogenized cityscape around the world. But when refocused onto a small region or even a country, we see the inevitable role of traditions and history in its cityscape.