Why are we alive? I would tend to think "to experience and create #beauty". I'm blessed to share an office with a beholder that has a lot of poetry in how he sees the world and guides others to see it for themselves too. Have you ever heard of Thomassons? To some they are useless, to others they are treasures. Thanks, Nikolas Ettel
From stairs leading nowhere to leftover curbs, join Nikolas on his quirky quest for random and useless structures – called “Thomassons”. Named as an ironic homage to a generously paid but benched baseball player, the term “Thomassons” was first coined by Japanese artist Genpei Akasegawa, who aimed to encourage careful observation, discovery of untold histories and collaboration. And with Akasegawa’s legacy in mind, Nikolas sent his architecture students on an unusual treasure hunt for architectural leftovers to spark curiosity about their own city. Join him on a journey through the streets of Hong Kong and explore the untold stories of its architectural relics. Nikolas is an intermedia researcher and Lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Hong Kong. Currently, he coordinates the Faculty Interdisciplinary Courses and teaches the Common Core Course 24 Frames: Communicating Ideas through Film. His intermedia research has been exhibited and published internationally. Nik’s latest exhibition Alleys in Wonderland (PMQ, 2019 + City Gallery, 2021), a Design Trust Seed Grant awarded VR-project, is currently displayed at the Hong Kong Pavilion for the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale 2021. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
