Project 4Academic/Personal Photography Project
This photographic series examines how urban design subtly influences human behaviour through patterns, structure, and control. The grids, lines, and rigid designs within cityscapes serve a purpose beyond functionality—they quietly direct our movements, routines, and perceptions. Referencing concepts like Foucault’s panopticon, the series depicts the city as an arena of silent surveillance and discipline, where order persists without visible enforcement. Employing stark black-and-white imagery, these photographs contrast the enforced structure and subtle acts of resistance. Cracked pavements, damaged signs, and altered surfaces disrupt the visual order, uncovering moments of defiance and decay amid regulated spaces. These visual contrasts provoke thought: To what extent do our surroundings influence our daily behaviour? And how can we find spaces to resist?
Ultimately, this series serves as a visual exploration of power, control, and resistance in daily urban life—prompting viewers to rethink the seemingly ordinary environments we occupy as arenas of quiet conflict and human complexity agency.