thresholds as acts
rethinking crossing in conditions of continuous connectivity
project type
artistic research, spatial installation
Architectural thresholds have traditionally operated as physical boundaries separating inside from outside, public from private. However, in the age of constant digital connectivity, these boundaries no longer produce a clear separation. Even when a door is closed, individuals remain mentally, socially and digitally present elsewhere.
This ongoing project proposes a shift in how thresholds are understood. Rather than fixed architectural elements, thresholds are approached as acts that regulate attention, access and presence. A crossing no longer occurs instantly, but is constructed through time, action and attention.
This spatial installation translates this position into a spatial condition centered on a doorway. Rather than functioning as a point of immediate passage, the threshold is extended and interrupted.
Access is conditioned through a series of required actions. Objects placed in relation to the doorway introduce moments of hesitation, engagement and repetition. Entry is not granted through movement alone, but through participation.
The threshold is therefore not located in the door itself, but in the sequence of acts that must be performed in order to cross.
Inspired by ritual-like acts that keep the body on hold through touch, repetition and duration, ordinary domestic behaviors are turned into mechanisms of crossing. Familiar actions such as hanging a coat, placing belongings, washing hands and waiting are ritualized by introducing time, action and attention as active components of the threshold.
The project proposes crossing as a gradual and performative process. The threshold only emerges through participation, slowing down entry and turning everyday acts into spatial conditions of transition, preparation and disengagement.