Benjamin's Arcades_selected

Page 1

• Title: The Arcades Project

• Author: Walter Benjamin

• Translators: Howard Eiland and Kevin McLaughlin

Page 2

Paris, the Capital of the Nineteenth Century

• Poem Reference: Nguyen Trang Hiep, 1897

• Arcades Origin:

  • Most arcades in Paris established after 1822.

  • Emerged due to a boom in the textile trade.

  • Originators of modern department stores: magasins de nouveau tis.

• Cultural Significance:

  • Centers for luxury items.

  • Seen as merging art with commerce.

  • Attraction for locals and tourists alike.

• Architectural Innovations:

  • Glass-roofed, marble-paneled corridors.

  • First examples of gas lighting.

  • Introduction of iron construction technologies.

Page 3

Architectural Evolution

• Boetticher's View: A call for Hellenic forms in modern architecture.

• Empire Style:

  • Seen as a revolutionary style; however, limited understanding of iron's functional value by architects.

  • Architects mimicked ancient styles instead of innovating.

• Technological Advances:

  • Introduction of iron as an artificial building material in architecture.

  • Locomotives necessitated iron tracks, leading to innovations in prefabrication.

Page 4

Fourier and Utopian Ideas

• Fourier's Utopian Vision:

  • Relation to machines not explicitly highlighted in his writings.

  • Phalanstery as a societal mechanism promoting harmony through passions.

• Shift in Use of Arcades:

  • Originally for commerce; in Fourier's view, they serve as living spaces.

• Aesthetic Shifts:

  • Fourier's vision promotes a colorful and idealized world contrasting the Empire's austere design.

  • Influences seen in later authors and movements.

Page 5

Daguerre and the Panoramas

• Panorama Impact:

  • Innovations in visual arts provided a precedent for photography and film.

  • Literature adapted to these visual arts, representing modern life.

• Literary Contributions:

  • Popular novels that mirrored the panoramic culture and lifestyle.

  • Shift towards realistic depictions reflecting social changes.

Page 6

World Exhibitions

• Cultural Significance:

  • Commodification of the world; transformation into sites of consumer culture.

  • Organized particularly for the working classes as a festival.

• Saint-Simonians Influence:

  • They anticipated the global economy without properly addressing class struggles.

• Entertainment and Encounter:

  • Engagement and fascination with consumer goods marked the era’s exhibitions.

Page 7

Fashion and Commodity Fetishism

• Symbolism of Objects:

  • Grandville's work intertwines the natural with the decorative in consumer culture.

• Class Observations:

  • Highlights the disconnect between wealthy fashion and the everyday worker's plight.

• Role of the Bourgeois:

  • Fashion imbues objects with sacred qualities, entrapping individuals in mere appearances.

Page 8

Louis Philippe and the Interior

• Emergence of Private Space:

  • Distinction between living spaces and work spaces became prominent.

• Collector Culture:

  • The collector's role introduced a romanticized view of possession, distancing the passivity of the bourgeoisie from productive labor.

  • The home becomes a stage for personal and collective memory.

Page 9

Baudelaire and Urban Experience

• Allegorical Genius:

  • Baudelaire's work reflects deep urban alienation.

• Role of the Flâneur:

  • Represents the dynamic observer in urban spaces, mediating between individual experience and collective consciousness.

• Poetic Response to Modernity:

  • Imagery in his poetry captures the contradictory nature of urban life.

Page 10

Themes of Death and Newness

• Philosophy of Existence:

  • Perspectives on death and rebirth; notably Baudelaire's final poetry.

• Illusion of Modernity:

  • Explores how the illusion of novelty parallels consumer culture and existential despair.

  • The eternal return of history offers a cynical lens on progress.

Page 11

Haussmann's Reconstruction

• Urban Planning and Control:

  • Haussmann's work intended to reshape Paris to deter civil conflict.

• Physical and Psychological Alienation:

  • Residents distanced from their city due to rapid transformations.

• Strategic Urban Design:

  • Aims to suppress social unrest through urban design.

Page 12-24

Epilogue on Modernity and Phantasmagoria

• Proceedings of Blanqui:

  • End of the journey through the evolving society of the nineteenth century.

• Reflection on History:

  • Points to the repetitive nature of societal changes stemming from the same material conditions.

• Philosophical Insights on Progress:

  • Explores how modernity reflects historical cycles of alienation.