‘Cellotope’ is a site-specific project intended for public space, which reflects topics of individualism, intimacy, privacy and isolation. In collaborative effort, artists Martin Kiman and Zsófia Szőke constructed single cell unit objects that could be entered and provided the viewer with a contemplative solitude in a busy urban environment.
In the course of the project we researched the significant trivialities of the city, utilising the implementation of an open spatial concept as a vehicle of public seclusion and togetherness. ‘Cellotope’ explores the idea of functionally underdetermined, ephemeral microarchitecture and its potential within the public space. The enterable cells are constructed using repurposed materials, and strategically placed in the terrain vague to generate secret empty ‘trading rooms’ for the urbanites. The aim was to assess the impact of different units on somatic experiences, particularly in terms of intimacy, isolation, and protection, by the assembly of tangible structures as volatile self-containers. Setting a soft and imaginative tone, these capsules can functionally enhance the public space, making the city more usable and livable.
