#2 Ideology
From the three essays, we can see a shared emphasis on the relation between an object and its locale (time and place) in defining the concept of presentness. Taking that into consideration, Benjamin and Frampton take a step forward and recognize the importance of tactile other than visual experience in rebuilding the presentness.
Heidegger discusses the presentness of a human being in a broader context, as he argues that “building is really dwelling” (page 350). As he maintains that to be a human being is to dwell, he argues that mortals are always in the fourfold of earth, sky, divinities and mortals through the act of dwell. Similarly, a built thing gathers the fourfold to itself in its own way (355), which is admitted and installed by the locale. Hence, as space is produced by locales, its presence never remains as pure geometric shape, but a deep connection with the fourfold. Thus, to present means to preserve the fourfold, to save the earth, to receive the sky, to wait for the divinities and to initial mortals (page 360).
Benjamin in his discussion on artworks recognizes the presentness of a work of art in a similar way, as he regards the unique existence of an art piece as “the place where it happens to to be” (page 220). He sees the time and space as part of the authenticity of an original work, and defines such elements with the term “aura.” While the art piece could be duplicated, its aura (thus presence) could not, which creates the authenticity of a work of art. However, he also observes a huge difference between the traditional art and the work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction. As the copies are more independent to the original artwork, the connection between the art piece and its presentness such as a specific time and location is greatly weakened, which gradually leads to artworks which have no aura.
Frampton adapts Heidegger’s argument that the presentness of space depends upon a concrete boundary, which has clear nature and characteristics. He also learns from Arendt’s emphasis on political influence on the appearance of space. Seeking for the design approaches toward a critical regionalism, he regards the expression of topography, context, climate, light and tectonic form as the key to inheriting local culture to create more characteristic, thus the concrete presence of the architecture. For instance, instead of artificial light, the natural lights in an art gallery will change with time, season and humidity, which creates a tight connection between the interior space and the local condition, which may contribute to the preservation of aura of the site. Natural ventilation, as well, will bring with hints of local climate as the presentness. Furthermore, Frampton argues that the tectonic, rather than the facade of a building should be of the prime concern, in that the structure of architecture reveals the inter-relationship between “material, craftwork and gravity,” which to some extent refuses the universal technology and reveals a local autonomy in architecture.
