This article has been subjected to double blind peer review

This article has been published in: Ocula 14, Visible Cities. In Memory of Giovanna Franci

author: Elena Granata (Dipartimento di Architettura e Studi urbani, Politecnico di Milano (IT))

The gaze and what it looks at. Interpreting, exploring and recognising the signs of the world

language: italian

abstract: The observation of the world is not a naive and spontaneous practice, but it depends on our culture: we see only what we know. On the other hand, our knowledge comes from experience and observation of the world: we know only what we see. The Act of Looking is not only perception but is interwoven with the experience, the history and the memory of human beings, giving rise to a complex experience, where there are no rules and where to see means to be constantly surprised by something. What I see, therefore, depends also on my knowledge and on my sensitive education. A perceptive eye should be educated, in order to be able of watching and recognizing in the material forms of the city a plot composed by the rules, the history, the evolution of society, the imprint of the economy. An educated and cultivated eye can increase our vision, provided that it always knows how to surrender to surprise and emotion, leaving room for unexpected details.

citation information: Elena Granata, Lo sguardo e quello che guarda. Leggere, esplorare e riconoscere i segni del mondo, "Ocula", vol.14, n.14, December 2013. DOI: 10.12977/ocula22

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