THE CITY OF HOPEFUL MONSTERS

Cities are like any other creatures, wishing for something to increase certain attribute(s) within their system. Whether it is an overnight growth spurt that separates itself above the rest, an injection of absurd speed that allows it to hunt more than it needs to eat, or acquiring global fame that gains instant access to any party in the world; these desires are all independent enhancements that creates situations of extremes.

The effects of enhancing anything generally starts off as an over indulgence of itself, a rapid beneficial condition that cannot yet be criticized. This state of euphoria rarely stabilizes or continues in a consistent manner. Instead, the enhancement declines and vanishes through three varieties of terminations. (1. super-saturation 2. self implosion 3. boredom) Through each of the enhancements, one of three response emerges. (1. adaptive 2. purgatory 3. rebellious)

Regardless of typology, all three of these responses have one thing in common; they all evolved without traditional evolution. Their growth cannot be traced linearly like normal species. They emerged from a freak and advantageous mutation which allows them to survive or even counter the situation of the enhancement/extreme. The colloquial term, “hopeful monsters” perfectly describes these products. A hopeful monster is a term that rebuts Darwin’s theory of gradualism and evolution. Instead, these hopeful monsters are instantaneous specification or systemized mutations.

Agenda:

The city of hopeful monsters creates and analyzes the moments of instantaneous, systemized mutations due to an enhanced condition. Through analysis and the intrigue with enhancements, two catalogs of typologies were created. The First catalog deals with the typologies of an enhancement’s termination. The second is called the catalog of responses aka. the catalog of hopeful monsters. This catalog ultimately becomes a manual for the creation of or protection of cities.

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monster catalog_

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