The following is a brief summary of the rhizome reading, followed by my takeaway:
- The term “rhizome” is used to describe theory and research that allows for multiple, non-hierarchical entry and exit points in data representation and interpretation. (Wikipedia)
Characteristics of a Rhizome1.
Connection – any point of a rhizome can be connected to anything else
2.
Heterogeneity – Because of its ability to connect anything with anything, it is by nature decentralized. Ability to connect diverse, dissimilar elements.
3.
Multiplicity – It can’t be distilled down to a single source/root/location, as in a tree structure. Everything is woven together as a fabric. I imagine a social graph:
4.
Asignifying rupture – You can rupture the rhizome, but you can’t destroy it! New pathways will be formed. This reminds me of tinker toys….you could pull this half apart…but just put a stick thingy in a new spindle hole, and the process begins again:
5.
Cartography – the rhizome is map and not a tracing; it is open, connectable, detachable, with multiple entryways; it does not need to follow preset pathways
6.
Decalcomania – there’s a mouthful. Constant adaptation via iteration.
Essentially, I feel that the point in the article was to introduce a different model of how we interpret processes. Human nature leads us to want to compartmentalize, organize, label, and structure. Because of our perception of the existence of time, we tend to do this in a linear fashion. We also look at things not only as they are located in time, but also in space. This leads us to the faulty thinking that things necessarily have to follow linear pathways in specific locations. The comparison is made to the roots of a tree. Instead, it would do us well to see processes as relational, interwoven, “proceeding from the middle”. Like the ants in my graphic above, you don’t know where they begin or end or where they’re going, and it doesn’t matter. The rhizome has the characteristic of pure potentiality; it can manifest in different ways, without being confined by the “rules” of various modes of operation. It encourages flexibility, adaptation, and creativity.
“The rhizome metaphor, which represents a critical leap in coping with the loss of a canon against which to compare, judge, and value knowledge, may be particularly apt as a model for disciplines on the bleeding edge where the canon is fluid and knowledge is a moving target.” (Wikipedia)
The notion of rhizome as process serves particularly well when attempting to understand and create new systems of collaboration, interaction, and interface….as with swarm architecture, where the e-motive house/hyperbody serves as a complex adaptive system, interacting with and responding to us, but also acting as extensions of ourselves. The pieces of the hyperbody all operate in relation to each other; monitoring, calculating, shifting and adapting based on incoming and outgoing information flow. We don’t visualize all flow in terms of “I perform this function/command, house responds with ‘x’”, rather we envision an evolving symbiotic relationship between us and it. For instance, imagine this:
In tomorrow’s home, all systems will operate on a single network. You’ll probably create an avatar to represent your home, fitted with a name & personality. He/she/it may appear on a screen on the wall when you come home, giving you a snapshot of the house’s status: temperature, energy usage, etc. It’s system will be linked to your phone too, so you can change the home’s settings and monitor activity from your handheld device. Since your phone is equipped with GPS, your house will also know when you’re on your way home, and can turn on your favorite radio station when you walk through the door, and perhaps draw a bath for you, at the temperature you find ideal. The walls will be covered with interactive wallpaper, so you can change the color or scene displayed based on your mood. The packaging on all the food in your fridge and pantry is RFID equipped, so your home can suggest recipes for dinner based on what you have in stock, as well as alert you when expiration dates are drawing near. Your house may also be linked to the grocery store, and will let you know when your favorite foods are on sale. The roof has solar panels, which move over the course of the day to absorb the maximum amount of sunlight. The windows are composed of electrified privacy glass, eliminating the need for blinds. The house automatically activates/disables this function in order to maintain optimal temperature within the house at all times. The windowpanes also capture sunlight and transfer the energy to photovoltaic cells, helping to reduce your electricity bill. Lights automatically turn on/off as you move through the house….
OK, I could go through each room of the house with this example, but I hope I’ve illustrated the idea of using the rhizome metaphor to understand the potentiality of interactive systems. Though there are deliberate exchanges between us and house, the house also functions as an outgrow of ourselves, perhaps challenging our beliefs in what we define as ‘self’ altogether…at the same time, house is interacting with itself, and perhaps with systems outside the immediate network. There’s no specific location of House…it’s a networked environment, its existence distributed. Its evolution is based on its ability to interact with other networks, and with us. Though this example is just about House, the same premise extends to all architecture, until we’re a part of a holistic, information-dense, and intelligent environment.
…and that’s why I want to live in the future.
