IMPLOSION
What does IMPLOSION mean?
IMPLOSION is a word that came up in some minds after reading O.F. Bollnow 's book 'Man and Space' some twenty years ago. This book is maybe one of the most important ones of this century. The research results outlined in the following are essentially based on this book.
Human Space
(present aspects)
Human space as everyone lives it daily, is not the same space as defined in physics, mathematics, geometry and astronomy. It is not homogeneous. The human being is not like a particle in physical space. It interacts with space, creates space, prefers certain domains, avoids others. Space in this humane sense is non-continuous. It is perceived, evaluated and organised in for example positive and negative domains. This has practical consequences for our lives today: Architecture, Modern Architecture, Art, Environmental Design.
Cosmos and Cosmetics
(aspects related to the past)
According to Bollnow, modern perception of space is a product of modernity. It came up in the 14th century, gained momentum with the great discoveries and was confirmed essentially by astronomy. But, the Greeks had used the word 'cosmos' similarly like we use it still today in the word 'cosmetics'. It meant a harmonious environmental arrangement ( Kerschensteiner ). In short: the contents of the word 'cosmos' have spatially extended enormously during European cultural history, whereas the word 'cosmetics' remained on the face. This is of importance for those who reconstruct the human past. -> History, Prehistory, Ethnology, Anthropology, Religion, History of Art, Social Anthropology, Environmental Humanities.
Objective Aspects
Human space is artificially structured and organised. Man uses artificial alterations of the natural environment to define human space and to separate it from natural space. This behaviour can be studied in all its existing human expressions as a whole. -> Architectural Anthropology, Anthropology of material culture
Aspects of Centre
Human Space is implanted into what physics calls space. Like in the case of the plant, it is interactive with its environmental condition. Human space is not independent of the geophysical and biological conditions as it is assumed in the highly abstracted mathematical space concept of physics. Human space is not 'void'. Human space developed basic structures in early habitats of man. -> Habitat Research
Polarity
Human space is conceived in Polar Relations (above/ below, inside/ outside, close/ far, narrow/ wide, dense/ non-dense etc.). This allows us to reconstruct a hereto undiscovered cognitive system: -> Polarity, Two coexisting types of cognition, Philosophy.
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