on pyramid inversion, the triumph of a newly radicalised urban forest

Image courtesy: Angel Guarani Kaiowá @AngToledo

This image of the corrupting power paradigm of a pyramid reminded us of some local applications and larger thoughts.

At the Elephant and Castle we have London’s prime example of a topdown ‘Regeneration’ conducted with bullying contempt by a Local Authority, in this case Southwark Council, along with the money-power of a global corporation of developers and estate agents: Lend Lease, on the one hand. Versus the broad ecology of a special urban forest in central London centred on a 1970s Council Estate, the Heygate.

Famously/notoriously, the Heygate’s residents were disposed of by pyramidal reflex, along with all the principles that built such a place for the people of London to live in with security and the many qualitative benefits of the forest too. This is now history: a matter of substantial historical record. These things do not go away if properly documented as this abysmal scandal has been and more work is yet to be done and made.

One work that will not be done or made is the proposed public art installation by an artist called Mike Nelson, sponsored by Artangel (link or see Footnotes for pdfs below).