Journal of Visual Art and Design

Flexible and Demountable Urban Furniture Design Approach with H-Shaped Light Concrete Modules

Sevda Duygu Kolbay — 2025-07-14

Flexibility and adaptability are primary needs in the design and organization of public spaces. The main objective of this study was to model a derivative grammar in designing public furniture units with a blockwork system that can adapt to the recreational potential of any urban area. The proposed design is aimed at being shaped in line with users’ requirements as the surrounding environment is continually transforming. Hence, the potential geometric arrangements of the proposed design are meant to enable different functional scenarios. The formation and differentiation parameters of the units can be associated and interpreted according to their shape variants. In this context, the compositional principles for arrangement of the proposed H-shaped blocks are defined by a set of rules. By means of morphological, derivative, and pragmatic evaluations, different compositional options were targeted to be turned into essential grammatical schemata within the scope of this study. Design references were achieved by procedural modeling with grammar-based algorithms. Generative prototypes were created by the formulation of algorithms as the vocabulary; the syntax was developed by a shape grammar.

Participatory Action For and Through Ecological Integrity: Toroidality as a Circular Design Model

Canberk Yurt — 2025-08-01

The ecological crisis corrupts natural cycles, damages networks of organisms, and disrupts the ecosystem equilibrium. In response to the ecological crisis, the concept of circularity proposes reformative actions. However, these actions are insufficient to reverse the crisis and achieve ecological integrity because they are non-holistic and based on human concerns and priorities. A more inclusive and integrative mindset is necessary for better-functioning circular processes. In this regard, this research presents a theoretical framework for an alternative circular design model – Toroidality – which is driven by collective knowledge and participatory action. Toroidality functions through the integrative capacity of collective knowledge and collaboration among human and non-human stakeholders in the ecosystem. Based on the intertwined cycles of collective knowledge and collective value-creation, Toroidality becomes a self-feeding circular design model. Through its four-phased circular design processes, Toroidality claims to generate solutions that have regenerative capacities. This article clarifies the conceptual background, theoretical framework and complementary notions to present the fundamentals of Toroidality. After this initial explanatory article, the dynamics of the phases and interactions among the stakeholders are aimed to be explored and reported in the following research, through a real-life case study.

Imaginary Scapes: The Reinvocation of Memory in Human-AI Artistic Collaboration

Deden Hendan Durahman — 2025-08-27

The rise of generative AI has significantly transformed the creative process, altering artistic workflows and redefining the human role in artmaking. While some artists resist this shift, engaging with machine intelligence has become increasingly inevitable in today’s digital landscape. This paper explores the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence on artistic practices and how such disruption may benefit rather than hinder creativity. Grounded in Jean Baudrillard’s concept of the hyperreal—particularly his theory of third-order simulation—it examines how AI generates realities that never existed but are perceived as real. These pseudo-realities challenge traditional notions of authenticity and memory in art. Through a performative research method and interdisciplinary approach, the author proposes the concept of ‘re-invocation’—a process of reclaiming the authority of human memory in collaboration with AI. This process is structured in iterative stages involving both human intention and algorithmic intervention. The study demonstrates that incorporating non-human memory has become an unavoidable aspect of art production in the generative AI era. Ultimately, it argues that re-invoking human memory through AI collaboration may offer a critical and innovative foundation for contemporary artistic expression.