Saturday, March 11, 2017

Ambiguity



Ambiguity is the quality of being open to more than one interpretation of something.  It usually leads to doubtfulness and uncertainty since it has a different meaning to different people.


In the documentary Urbanized, director Gary Hustwit shows ambiguity by showcasing Bogota's interpretation of a "perfect city."  The documentary features a tour of the city given by the mayor of Bogota.  The city features a bike lane that is separated from the main road by cars in the mud.  The safety of pedestrians on bikes is a priority for Bogota and it is a feature that adds to their interpretation of a perfect city.  This is an example of ambiguity because not every city as the same definition of what a perfect city is like.  For some people a bike lane could be an important feature in their definition, but for others it is not.      

No comments:

Post a Comment