Biopolitics, Space, and the Critical Position of the Architect-Subject

Abstract

Space is a heterogeneous construction involving interplay between social actors and physical components that is produced and consumed through everyday experiences and bodily practices. The fact that space is not merely a physical expression but also an embodiment of sociality is the basis of the complex relationship between humans and space. While it defines the movements, expressions, and boundaries, it also reveals the power relations that mold the body. The aim of this research is to examine biopolitics as mechanism of power that regulates biological life and spatiality of bodies. By adopting a historical perspective, the research demonstrates how space has been biopolitically instrumentalized as an apparatus, while questioning the position of architecture and the influence of the architect-subject. The research offers current perspectives by providing recent critiques about the architect-subject’s position within the creative process.