Aseem Inam: I love this photograph for so many reasons because it represents so much to me.
One of the most important reasons is that it was taken by my partner, who is an amazing photographer. I really like the way, that rather than doing just a standard screen grab, she took a photograph of the screen, which is covered with a slight layer of dust and smudges and sunlight coming through the windows on the upper right-hand corner of the image. She is excellent at capturing the moment, and this photograph captures so well, what is happening inside the screen, on the screen, and outside the screen.
Another reason is that it represents a very special moment, which was the opening of our "Co-Designing Publics" international symposium on September 16-17, with over 337 registered participants from all over the world spread out over 15 different time zones and 30 speakers from 8 countries. The symposium was funded by a grant from the UK Arts and Humanities research council, and while I was the principal investigator and lead speaker, it was truly a collaborative effort. Those of you who have organized and lead such events know the enormous intellectual effort and logistical coordination it takes to carry them out successfully.
The collaboration was extraordinarily enriching, with colleagues such as Charlotte Lemanski of the University of Cambridge in the UK, AbdouMaliq Simone and Melanie Lombard of the University of Sheffield in the UK, Neha Sami from the Indian Institute of Human Settlements, Simon Springer of the University of Newcastle in Australia, and Fernando Lara for the University of Texas – Austin in the United States. Juan Usubilliga, my former research assistant and current Ph.D. student, played an especially instrumental—and outsized--role as the Network Administrator of the "Co-Designing Publics" research network. I learned a great deal from each one of my collaborators.
One of the main goals of this research network is to foster the exchange of ideas, nurture dialogue about experiences in different parts of the world, and generate common understandings and newly shared knowledge. What is the topic of investigation? Well, it was a mouthful, representing the true ambitions of learning in our group: "Co-Designing Publics: [Re]Producing the Public Realm via Informal Urbanisms in Cities of the Global South." In my opening talk, which the image shown here, I unpacked the title and sub-title, talked about the relationalities among the different components, and concluded with the significance of the implications, which are quite considerable. What the title reflects is the intellectual and intersectional framing of these ideas.
I loved wrestling with these ideas! I have been thinking about them, testing them out in teaching and practice, researching them, and articulating them for many years in bits and pices. Based on many years of experience, I believe these ideas are truly significant for both understanding cities [i.e. #TheoryAsPractice] and designing them [i.e. #ResearchAsPractice]. In fact, they lie at the heart and soul of what a city should be, now and in the future. I will be publishing the full text of my talk, with the title "Co-Designing Publics," in the near future, so please look out for it. I would love to continue the conversation that we started with our research network and final symposium with all of you.
Finally, I love this photograph because it represents to me a type of camaraderie and solidarity which I cherish deeply, because this is what we need to not only survive but also thrive in our world. In fact, I talk about "Co-Designing Publics" because it represents the camaraderie and solidarity that we need for our cities to thrive and for us to thrive in them. Recently, there has been a great deal of welcome talk about "self-care," which has to be part of larger commitment to "collective care," where we take care of ourselves and of each other. This is not easy, due to our many differences and to the normal frictions among and between communities, but it is absolutely necessary. Thus, the photograph for me represents a special moment in my life, the capture of a special collaborative event, and a passion for the special work I have been doing in partnership with my friends and colleagues. AI.
I took the photograph of the Dhobi Ghat in the Mahalakshmi area of Mumbai, India in 2013. The Dhobi Ghat is the largest open-air laundry in the world and is run by a cooperative. I like the contrast with the high-rise residential buildings under construction in the background, geared towards the affluent members of society, which in India means the middle-income and upper-income groups. While there is aesthetic contrast between them, in reality they are intertwined physically, socially and economically. Image of screen: Elahe Karimnia.