Daniel SCHWARTZ
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Research Residency Program
update: 2019.10.7
Daniel SCHWARTZ
| Participating Project | Research Residency Program |
|---|---|
| Activity Based | Switzerland |
| City | Tokyo |
| Period | 2017.6 - 2017.7 |
Purpose of the residency
Humans are increasingly learning to measure the planetary scale of our environmental impact, and in doing so, inventing new technological, economic, cultural, and political tools to manage changes. I am interested in a specific genre of environmental management practices related to risk and preparedness. Individuals, corporations, and institutions craft complex ways to prevent danger, protect property, and minimize damage. I approach this broad theme through two specific topics: catastrophe bonds (financial/climatic modeling) and invasive species mitigation systems (multi-species anthropologies). I have been developing a project surrounding catastrophe bonds that draws links between the commonly-known methods in which societies prepare for disaster - a theme well documented and discussed in contemporary Japanese society. However, rather than focusing on well-worn examples of related risk management (i.e. earthquakes), I would like to focus on how "preparedness" manifests itself in the mental and emotional architecture of Tokyo.
Plan during the residency
I plan to engage with an expanded notion of risk management that is embedded within the lives of Tokyo residents at varying and overlapping scales, from large transportation infrastructure to romantic relationships. I will interview local experts in various disciplines - economic, anthropological, biology, and design - about how risk management manifests itself in Japanese society. I will also document certain aspects of everyday life in the built environment of Tokyo and how people integrate risk into routines and social networks.
