Jiayun Xu

Borders & Territories

The informal market attached to infrastructures

The Space of Dynamic Informality

Informal practices take place widely in urban thresholds and leftover spaces. They are mostly ignored, but still they have great potential. They are under constant change, always reflecting the needs of their temporary occupants, and tend to parasitize nearby infrastructures - those formal and longer-lasting urban parts. I researched those informal practices, drew theoretical conclusions and applied them into my new practice.

In order to reorganize the chaotic transportation of the spontaneous market block near Didube Bus Terminal in Tbilisi, while preserving the current informal quality, I introduced two sets of formal/informal components. The formal infrastructure components are mainly for pedestrians, and also act as a framework providing in-between spaces in which informal, flexible market components can inhabit temporarily. These formal and informal parts together constitute an updated market area with dynamic informality.

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