Walter Ramirez

Dreaming of knowing

Walter Ramirez
May 05 2023
5

Why does it seem that knowledge parades in front of me but I cannot reach. I have glimpses of it but when I head to it, it alludes me. When one wakes up from sleep, one has fragments and traces of feelings from the dream but there are only pieces.

The artist and philosopher, like two halves of a whole, seek to uncover the secrets of existence. The artist channels visions from the future, while the philosopher interprets and deciphers their meaning. But knowledge cannot be gained solely through intellectual pursuit. We cannot merely observe the world from afar and hope to comprehend its essence. To truly know, we must immerse ourselves in its wonders, subject ourselves to its cruelties, and bear witness to its beauty and ugliness alike.

And yet, even in the face of this existential crisis, we cannot help but be drawn to the beauty of the universe. Human erasure of Darwinian logic is an indication of a type of great beauty that underlies the formation of the universe and inspires us to break with our animalistic origins and leave the comfort of the self and safety, and go after the song of the siren, calling out to us and enticing us with its allure.

But sometimes to see that beauty one has to forget how to adult and see through the playful eyes of a child. For sometimes, it is through the eyes of a child that we see the world most clearly.

On aesthetics and errors

Walter Ramirez
20 May 2023
5

In the realm boring mechanical technical working, errors can sometimes yield unexpected pleasures or, at the very least, expose hidden truths. During the process of exporting a set of objects from one program to another, a peculiar error occurred in the scaling of an element. Curiously enough, this error seems fitting, even appropriate. It provokes us to question the conventional understanding of classical sculptures as mere adornments within garden settings. Why do we default to such assumptions? What do these assumptions reveal about our approach to architecture, as well as its limitations?

My opinion on this matter is ambivalent. On one hand, I recognize the implications of colonialism and classicism, which should not be dismissed lightly. However, on another level, there exists an undeniable allure inherent to gardens—an allure that seems to be the perfect backdrop for the mystical entities we place within them.

In this convergence of perspectives, we encounter a rich interplay between the critical and the aesthetic. It forces us to reexamine our preconceived notions and invites us to contemplate the complex interrelationships between cultural history, symbolism, and our own enchantment with the sublime. By embracing the errors that arise in our creative endeavors, we open ourselves to new insights, profound critiques, and the transformative potential of a truly dialectical approach to architecture and its contextual implications.