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The Anti Social

LETTER OF COMPLAINT:

IDEA DEVELOPMENT: 'REPRESS OR ENHANCE THE ANTI-SOCIAL'

My primary concern was the lack of atmosphere, and the cold hard sense of sterility present at Buckingham Palace.Aims of intervention:

  • Represent contemporary British culture at the palace.
  • Dispel formal atmosphere.
  • Get involved with the tourists- make it feel like a real British experience.
  • Generally make it feel less bloody miserable.

    • I began by looking at aspects of contemporary (and traditional) aspects of British culture- no mean feat in a country as diverse and multi-cultured as ours. Queues, traditional foods, etiquette and football were all aspects of culture that crossed my mind. However, a cliche will never effectively engage a visitor to what a resident would really consider the 'essence' of being British.

    Looking at the works of Martin Parr, a photographer who I feel defines the modern age of 'Britishness' with his images of banal domesticity. I came upon the idea of recreating these typical scenes of family life at the palace, so it would be as though the visitor had accidentally stumbled into somebody's living room:

    But where is the anti-social element? Then it occurred to me: The public aren't being anti-social. In fact, they're being incredibly social in that they are actively attempting to engage with British histroy and the Royal family. Actually, it is the Royal family themselves who are being Anti-social in this context, by shutting themselves away behind their high fences and failing to interact with the public.

    Thus, it seemed obvious that it was my responsibility to help the Royal Family get back in touch: