A Love Letter to the Lighthouse in the Expanded Field

The lighthouse is more than a tool. It is a mediator between us the viewers and the landscape we inhabit. No longer tied to the maritime tradition by way of navigational function, the lighthouse is freed. The lighthouse which was once a beacon of welcome, then a beacon of warning can become a beacon of care that serves equally well in the expanded field as it does by the coast.

Sean Gwee is a fifth year student at the AA (Diploma Unit 15) and the third recipient of the Mark Fisher Scholarship. Sean is interested in structures, hosting, pots, performance and process. He works informally, improvisationally but always rigorously with friends and whoever shows up.

The Mark Fisher Scholarship was established in memory of the late Mark Fisher (1947–2013), AA graduate and teacher, and initiated by James Fairorth and Tait Towers, who worked closely with Fisher on ground-breaking music performance events around the world. Combining his skill as an architect and designer with a passion for rock and roll, Fisher pioneered the modern stadium performance and with it reimagined what we understand as the architectural spectacle.

The scholarship awards equivalent of two full years’ school fees (for Fourth Year and Fifth Year)  in support of a student of exceptional talent and interest in the intersection of architecture, performance, media and engineering.

Image: Painted by Andrea Goh, Composed by Sean Gwee