ARC 327R / ARC 386M
Wed 6:00 – 9:00pm, WMB 5.102
Open to all students
Kyriakos Kyriakou: kyriakos.kyriakou@austin.utexas.edu
An·thro·po·cene /ˈanTHrəpəˌsēn/
“The Anthropocene is a proposed geological epoch that is characterized by the significant global impact of human activities on Earth’s geology and ecosystems, including, but not limited to, climate change, biodiversity loss, and alteration of biogeochemical cycles.”
Crutzen, Paul J., and Eugene F. Stoermer. “The ‘Anthropocene.’” Global Change Newsletter 41 (2000): 17–18.
The intense transformation happening at the site of I-35 Highway is an undeniable manifestation of humans’ ability to reshape the land at will. The repercussions of such a project are both visible—in the physical transformation of the highway—and invisible, in the ways it affects geology, ecosystems, resources, logistics, and demographics. The objective of this seminar is to employ techniques of architectural representation to produce a critical survey of the I-35 site, integrating both its visible iconography and its invisible entanglements. Drawing will serve as an essential tool in this exploration, acting as a medium to observe, abstract, and critique, revealing what is “out there.”
Methodology and Deliverables
The highway will be divided into sections (depending on the number of enrolled students) and studied in depth, analyzing the different practices and phenomena represented in each section, visible on the site. Each student will produce three drawings at three different scales—ranging from the detail to the planetary. Drawings will be developed during work sessions and discussed in pin-ups over the course of the semester. Weekly discussions of student work will be interwoven with assigned readings and lectures.
End-of-Year Show
The seminar’s work will be exhibited at the 2026 End-of-Year Show. The last two weeks of the semester will be dedicated to collaboratively designing and building an installation to display their drawings. The display will repurpose already available material and provoke thinking on how to curate / exhibit work fostering a collaborative spirit and a celebratory attitude.
