ABSTRACT
This chapter is a series of propositional commentaries about the idea of Utopia as encapsulating art and intimate publics in the region from the various Utopia team members. Utopia is developing affiliations with festivals, art fairs, biennales, and conferences by finding ways to participate in existing systems with social, convivial, and cultural incursions. Utopia Station was conceived as a flexible and physical structure with contributions by artists, architects, writers, and performers. Utopia is not a kind of exclusive totalitarianism informed by idealistic theory. The essence of Utopia is about conversations and processes rather than striving for perfection. Daniel Crooks filmed footage outside a subway station in Shanghai, splicing his images so that each person is rendered bereft within their own time splice. Reality is stretched and distorted; human figures are splintered across time within the rhythms of daily life. For Utopia, we are working toward an urgent structure that is pertinent and reflective, open and generous.
