Bruce Braun and Stephanie Wakefield

Inhabiting the Postapocalytic City

Bruce Braun and Stephanie Wakefield offer the following commentary as a supplement to their
guest edited theme section in Society and Space 32(1), A New Apparatus: Technology,
Goernment and the !esilient "ity,# which includes an article $y Bruce titled A New %r$an
&ispositif' Goerning (ife in an Age of "limate "hange)# "ontents of this theme section are open
access until ** +arch ,-*.)
Figure 1. MoMA Rising Currents exhiition
!ne o" the #ess exa$ined aspects o" the turn to resi#ient uranis$ in %e& 'or( City has een the
#eading ro#e ta(en y its $a)or cu#tura# institutions* "ro$ art institutions and #arge $useu$s to
$a)or $aga+ines and ne&spapers. MoMA,s 2-1- .Rising Currents, exhiition (Figure 1) $ay ha/e
een the "irst to present %'C as a rea#0ti$e experi$ent in resi#ient design (see the artic#e y 1ruce
1raun* to &hich this post is attached)* ut it &as certain#y not a#one2 its /ision o" the city as an
integrated ut /u#nera#e socio0eco#ogica# syste$ &as 3uic(#y reprised e#se&here. At the 1M40
5uggenhei$ .6ran 7a, (Figure 2) 8 a $oi#e exhiit9/enue ased in %'C* 1er#in and Mu$ai 8
participants &ere ta(en on ecosyste$ tours o" &aste&ater treat$ent "aci#ities* &ater&ays and
#and"i##s and in/ited to interacti/e &or(shops on .resi#ience, in co$$unities #i(e the 7o&er :ast
Side. %ot to e outdone* participants in the 4hitney ;ndependent Study <rogra$ ran an
ecosyste$s exhiition at sites that inc#uded the experi$enta# ga##ery =he >itchen* the post0
industria# eco0rene&a# site (no&n as the ?igh 7ine* and other uran $etao#ic sites #i(e the %orth
Ri/er 4aste&ater =reat$ent <#ant (Figure 3). At each o" these sites artists and /ie&ers &ere in/ited
to experience the uran en/iron$ent as an entang#ed net&or( in &hich nature and society cou#d
no #onger e seen as separate syste$s. MoMA itse#" returned to the the$e &ith its 2-13 /012 *:
New 3ork (Figure @) &hich i$agined a conte$porary art $useu$ dedicated to eco#ogica# concerns*
presenting a series o" $odu#es* inter/entions* so#o pro)ects* and group exhiitions inc#uding a
schoo#* a co#ony* a cine$a* a geodesic do$e* a Rain Roo$* and $ore.
Figure 2. 1M405uggenhei$ 6ran #a
:3ua##y as stri(ing has een the steady strea$ o" artic#es and opinion co#u$ns in #oca# ne&spapers
de/oted to si$i#ar the$es* e/en $ore so a"ter Superstor$ Sandy in 2-12. Fro$ the New 3ork Times
to the &aily News* the city once thought unsha(a#e e/en in the "ace o" terror &as no& derided as
an arti"act o" an exhausted and i$p#oding hu$anist era* its outdated* $id02-
th
century
in"rastructure si$u#taneous#y epito$i+ing an erroneous idea o" tota# $astery and seen as the cause
o" Sandy,s cascading da$age.A1B 4e are /icti$s o" the post0:n#ighten$ent /ie& that the &or#d
"unctions #i(e a sophisticated $achine* &rote .#ac( s&an, pop theorist %assi$ =a#e in the Wall
Street 4ournal* Athis isB the cost#iest $ista(e that &e ha/e $ade in $odern ti$es.A2B 4e ha/e a
ne& rea#ity and o#d in"rastructures and o#d syste$s* 5o/enor Cuo$o intoned in a &aily News op0
ed* adding that the city,s e#ectrica# uti#ities see$ed #i(e /iny# records in the age o" the i<odC
anti3uated* 1DE-s0sty#e institutions that don,t ser/e our current needs.A3B ;n <rotecting %'C*
1e"ore %ext =i$e* the Times su$$ed up the ne& $antraC the era o" ig in"rastructure is o/er.A@B
Figure 3. 4hitney Museu$ .6ndercurrentsC experi$enta# ecosyste$s in recent art,
Again and again the city,s $a)or papers &e#co$ed readers to a ne& nor$a#* in &hich they $ust
aandon drea$s o" tota# $astery and e3ui#iriu$ 8the &or#d doesn,t &or( that &ay* &rote
resi#ience pundit Fo##i in the TimesG and #earn instead to $anage in an i$a#anced &or#dHin
constant dise3ui#iriu$.AEB Rather than sea &a##s ($odernis$)* the Times in/ited readers to
i$agine $any o" the /ery sa$e eco#ogica# ideas that &ere on disp#ay at MoMA (Figure E)C picture
a "ringe o" $ossy &et#ands strapped #i(e a eard to 7o&er Manhattan,s chin* and you are ha#"&ay
to&ard i$agining the p#an to protect the "inancia# district.AIB !r* oysters to the rescueJC in 2-13
a#one the Times printed at #east three pieces on oysters0as0in"rastructure* each o" &hich inter$ixed
ro$antici+ed and rustic c#ose ups o" oyster she##s* scorn"u# accounts o" industria#i+ation,s
de/astation o" %'C,s &ater&ays* and the urgent need to ring ac( the tenacious #itt#e i/a#/es to
he#p asor the next stor$.AKB City p#anning co$$issions* ga##ery exhiits and ne&spapers cited
each other &ith increasing "re3uency* creating a /irtuous circ#e that &or(ed to rein"orce the ne&
uran en/iron$enta# paradig$. Forget sustainai#ity* cried the New 3ork Times* it,s aout
resi#ience.ALB
As uran theorists and city d&e##ers* &hat shou#d &e $a(e o" these e""ortsM For the authors o"
se/era# o" the essays in the specia# issue* 5o/erning the resi#ient city (Society and Space /o# 31*
1)* resi#ient uranis$ can e read as a ne& $ode o" ad$inistering uran #i"e* dra&ing together
pre/ious#y unre#ated (no&#edges* practices and techno#ogies into a net&or( o" re#ation* in an e""ort
to #unt or asor unexpected "uture e/ents. Fro$ this perspecti/e* the city,s cu#tura# institutions
p#ay a (ey per"or$ati/e ro#e* stitching the e#e$ents together and presenting the resu#ting net&or( as
oth a coherent tota#ity and an ine/ita#e "uture.
Figure @. MoMA <S1C :xpo 1* Co#ony
;t is a#so possi#e to read these exhiits* progra$s and artic#es as they are o"ten read y critics on
the #e"t* as the cu#tura# #ogic o" &hate/er ne& stage o" capita#is$ &e ha/e entered* pro/iding
ideo#ogica# co/er "or the restructuring o" uran space and the ne& "or$s o" dispossession and
exp#oitation that it re3uires. ;n the 5o&anus Cana#* oysters and gentri"ication go hand in hand
(Figure I). And it &ou#d certain#y not e incorrect to see in these e""orts a sustained atte$pt* #ed y
Mayor 1#oo$erg hi$se#"* to position %'C as a g#oa# #eader in .resi#ient, design and techno#ogy.
6ran resi#ience in %'C $ay e aout preparing "or the next catastrophe* ut it has een e3ua##y
aout uran inno/ations that can e harnessed y capita#* o"ten as inte##ectua# property* and aout
exp#oiting ne& .rent gaps, as city #andscapes and neighorhoods are re$ade &ith ne&
en/iron$enta# and socia# a$enities. 4hen 1#oo$erg ta#(ed aout %'C as a .#i/ing #aoratory, his
ga+e &as as $uch on in/est$ent opportunities as on the $any #oo$ing socio0eco#ogica# crises that
urgent#y re3uired $anage$ent.
;n this post &e &ish to de/e#op a so$e&hat di""erent ang#e. 4e agree that there is an i$portant
ideo#ogica# co$ponent to these exhiitions* artic#es and p#ansC in each* /isitors* and readers are
in/ited to understand the present con)uncture in a particu#ar &ay* and incited to participate as its
su)ects. 1ut the e""ects $ay e $ore "ar reaching than si$p#y $a(ing pa#ata#e ne& productions o"
uran space. ;n their presentation o" "uture ris(s* and sp#ashy presentations o" exciting ne& adapti/e
designs and techno#ogies* each exhiit &ea/es a story aout the past* present and "uture that has
signi"icant conse3uences "or ho& &e thin( aout the present and its po#itica# possii#ities. !r*
perhaps $ore constructi/e#y* each exhiit raises (ey 3uestions aout ho& &e understand and
respond to the present con)uncture &e no& a#$ost casua##y ca## the .Anthropocene,.
;" there is a co$$on the$e in these exhiits and progra$s* it is that o" a present order in peri#. =he
#anguage and i$ages are decided#y apocalyptic. :ri( S&yngedou& argues that this sort o"
apoca#ypticis$ is consistent &ith a .post0po#itica#, condition* part o" a #arger cu#tura# and po#itica#
apparatus that produces consensus around "uture ris(s (c#i$ate change* sea0#e/e# rise) and "aith in
technocratic so#utions* "orec#osing on po#itics itse#".ADB 1ut perhaps e3ua##y as i$portant 8 and not
discussed y S&yngedou& and other .post0po#itica#, theorists 8 is that in these exhiits* artic#es and
p#ans &e "ind that the /ery nature o" apoca#ypticis$ has changed.
Figure E. Fro$ A#an Feuer* <rotecting the city* e"ore next ti$e %e& 'or( =i$es* %o/ 3* 2-12.
4hat do &e $ean* and &hy does it $atterM ;n its 5ree( origins* apoca#ypse $eant to unco/er*
re/ea#* or disc#ose 8 it &as re#ated to (no&#edge as $uch as to ti$e* and carried the connotation o"
#i"ting a /ei# that concea#ed the &or#d as it &as. 4ith the rise o" Christianity* ho&e/er* apoca#ypse
egan to ta(e on di""erent $eaningsC the end o" days2 the "ina# att#e et&een good and e/i# that
once and "or a## &ou#d esta#ish the >ingdo$ o" ?ea/en on :arth. =his shi"t is a story in itse#"* ut
"or our purposes &hat $atters is that it ushered in oth a specia# sense o" ti$e G unidirectiona#*
irre/ersi#e and te#eo#ogica# 8 in &hich the present is geared to&ard the "uture* and a ne& sense o"
space G hea/en and earth* in &hich the "or$er is separated "ro$ the #atter* and the #atter seen as
inade3uate in itse#". =he e""ect &as not to .disc#ose, the &or#d* as &ith the 5ree(s* ut to .derea#i+e,
it 8 to $a(e it #ess rea# than another* hea/en#y* rea#ity. ;n this paradig$* the present &or#d eco$es
the site and ti$e o" &aiting* rather than so$ething o" /a#ue in and "or itse#". =he apoca#ypse
re/ea#s its o&n ai$* 5i##es Ne#eu+e &rote* to disconnect us "ro$ the &or#d and "ro$
ourse#/es.A1-B ;t is precise#y this ti$e o" &aiting that &ou#d eco$e the concern o" the ear#y
Church* &hose ro#e &as to guide the "#oc(* and &ithin it* each sou#* as it prepared "or the second
co$ing o" Christ.
Figure I. !yster0tecture* MoMA* Rising Currents exhiition
1ut there &as another di$ension to this that ears on our current situation. As "ound in the &ritings
o" =ertu##ian in the 3
rd
century* po#itica# authority 8 in this case the Ro$an :$pire 8 &as seen to
p#ay the ro#e o" $anaging the earth#y &or#d* $aintaining order and pre/enting chaos* and thus* y
&arding o"" disorder and catastrophe* postponing the end o" days unti# its appointed ti$e. Car#
Sch$itt "a$ous#y na$ed this po&er that de"ers the "ina# end the katechon* &hich "or Sch$itt* as "or
=ertu##ian* &as a good thing.A11B
4e argue that this po#itica# theo#ogy persists today in the concept o" resi#ience* ut in a dra$atica##y
changed "or$. Rather than the go/ern$ent o" the &or#d in re"erence to a sing#e end (Ar$ageddon)*
go/ern$ent today is seen to proceed y re"erence to end#ess catastrophes and end#ess apoca#ypses*
without a "ina# rede$ption. ;n the secu#ar spaces o" the city,s art $useu$s the #ast )udg$ent has
receded* rep#aced y the per$anent )udg$ent o" the present G there is on#y a "uture o" more crisis
and more actions on that crisis. Catastrophe is e/ery&here and e/er0present. Resi#ience* in turn*
presents itse#" as a pro)ect o" sur/i/a#C there is no paradise to co$e.
;n this $idst o" this ne& dispositif* $ight it e possi#e to #ocate an opening "or a ne& and di""erent
po#iticsM =o ta(e the ne& rea#ity announced y %e& 'or( City,s cu#tura# institutions serious#y is
perhaps to con"ront the "act that the catastrophe has already happened* that &hat &e inhait is not
an i$peri#ed ci/i#i+ation 8 as the post0po#itica# #anguage o" resi#ience presu$es G ut a ci/i#i+ation
that is already in ruins.A12B %ot on#y do &e "ace a "uture haunted y a past that cannot e undone*
ut &ith the shi"t to uncon/entiona# hydrocarons 8 o"ten "ar $ore energy intensi/e to produce than
con/entiona# sources 8 &e are hurt#ing past e/ery i$agina#e .tipping point,. ;t is too #ate to set the
c#oc( ac(* too #ate to reset natura# history to an ear#ier ti$e. ;t &i## $o/e on &ith or &ithout us.
Fro$ the perspecti/e o" $any co$$unities 8 in po#ar regions* or in coasta# areas 8 &e are a#ready
#i/ing in a post5apocalyptic condition that is experienced une3ua##y* and &here the &orst is yet to
co$e. Fro$ this perspecti/e* the anxious race to reconnect %'C,s natura# surrounds* technica#
syste$s and hu$an co$$unities into a resi#ient syste$ appears not on#y as a ne& $ode o"
go/ern$ent or regi$e o" accu$u#ation* ut as a desperate atte$pt to (eep the present syste$ on
#i"e0support.
'et* i" &e,re osessed &ith the apoca#ypse today* &atching it p#ay out in theaters and getting
prepped to sur/i/e it at ho$e* $ight it e gi/en a di""erent signi"ication 8 not as a paradoxica# e""ort
to $a(e sense o" #i/ing in a +o$ie ci/i#i+ation* ut the expression o" a desire and e/en so$e
pre#i$inary $eans to produce a di""erent* "uture &or#dM Might &e e osessed &ith the end o" the
&or#d ecause &e are ready to see its reirthM <erhaps post0apoca#yptic ti$e dra&s us into &hat
4a#ter 1en)a$in ca##ed .$essianic, ti$e* a ti$e that ceases to &ait* either "or the "ina# end o" the
&or#d or its rede$ption in so$e other ti$e and space.A13B 4ithin $essianic ti$e there are not t&o
&or#ds Gthis inade3uate one &e,re in* and another one that &i## one day* so$eday* rep#ace itG ut
on#y the &or#d into &hich &e are thro&n* that &ithin &hich &e are ca##ed. ;" the apoca#yptic
separates us "ro$ the &or#d* $essianic ti$e returns us to the &or#d* and to a ti$e that 1en)a$in
ca##ed 4et6t6eit, no&0ti$e* not another ti$e that is added onto or rep#aces chrono#ogica# ti$e* ut
a 3ua#itati/e#y di""erent e7perience o" ti$e that trans"or$s and exp#odes it "ro$ &ithin. Fro$ there*
the (ingdo$ is neither to co$e nor a#ready here* ut to e $ade ane& "ro$ &ithin the &or#d.
<erhaps &e can "ind g#i$pses o" a di""erent* $ore exp#icit#y po#itica#* story in the exhiitions*
artic#es and co$$issions that "#ooded %'C i$$ediate#y preceding and "o##o&ing ?urricane SandyC
that the door to this other experience o" ti$e* &hich has ne/er ceased to e present &ithin
eschato#ogy* is that &hich the Anthropocene has opened "or us.
A1B
6&e Reinhardt* A$erica,s $id02-th0century in"rastructure* New 3ork Times, %o/e$er 1I*
2-12
A2B %assi$ =a#e* 7earning to #o/e /o#ati#ity* Wall Street 4ournal* %o/. 1I* 2-12.
A3B
Andre& Cuo$o* 4e &i## #ead on c#i$ate change* &aily News* %o/. 1E* 2-12.
A@B A#an Feuer* <rotecting %'C* e"ore next ti$e* New 3ork Times* %o/. 2* 2-12*
AEB
Andre& Fo##i* 7earning to ounce ac(* Andre& Fo##i %o/e$er 2* 2-12
AIB
Feuer* ;id.
AKB
See Feuer* ;id. A#so* Noug#as Ouen3ua* !yster she##s are an antacid to the oceans* New 3ork
Times* May 2-* 2-132 ?enry Fountain* %atura# a##ies "or the next Sandy* New 3ork Times* !ct. 2L*
2-132 and 4innie ?u* ;n 1ronx ri/er* he#ping oysters stage co$eac(* New 3ork Times* Sept 23*
2-13.
ALB
Fo##i* ;id.
ADB :ri( S&yngedou&* 2-1-* Apoca#ypse "ore/erM <ost0po#itica# popu#is$ and the spectre o"
c#i$ate change* Theory, "ulture and Society* 2K* 203C 2130232.
A1-B 5i##es Ne#eu+e* 1DDL* %iet+sche and Saint <au#* 7a&rence and Pohn o" <at$os* in /ssays
"ritical and "linical* trans#ated y N. 4 S$ith* M A 5reco (Qerson* 7ondon)* p. @L.
A11B Car# Sch$itt* 2--3* The Nomos of the /arth in the 8nternational (aw of 4us 1u$licum
/uropaeun* trans. 5.7. 6#$en* %e& 'or(* =e#os <ress.
A12B
Roy Scranton* 7earning ho& to die in the Anthropocene* New 3ork Times* %o/ 2-* 2-13.
A13B 4a#ter 1en)a$in* 1DIL* 8lluminations. %e& 'or(C Schoc(en 1oo(s.