In the recent history of modern thought, the notion of lines and knots has been largely side-lined. Ranging from particle physics, molecular biology and cognitive science, our historical understanding of the world is based on the notion of blocks. This leads us to think of a world which is not woven, but assembled from solid pieces.

What, then, would a world be like that is knotted rather than assembled? Can we imagine that boundaries encountered in our daily lives are not articulated by enclosed surfaces, but a matrix of interconnected networks?

In tectonics, the knot or the joint is the root principle of construction. Can we replace the architecture of the building block and the container? Is the wall assembled or woven?

With reference to Tim Ingold’s The Life of Lines, this project explores our environment in an entirely woven world. The final proposal at 22 Gordon Square presents an interactive installation that weaves human space into nature. The installation stands as an anti-monument, defying any opposition between inside and outside and allows its form to be shaped by wind, trees, and people.

Ivanka Zhao, Sunny Lee, Y2, ‘Knots of the Ground’