Where Are the Feet? Narratives of Belonging and Alterity – A Conversation with Vanessa Márquez Vargas, Debby Avendaño Sánchez, and Adrián Navia Segovia (University of Los Andes, Venezuela)

Conversation with Vanessa Márquez Vargas, Debby Avendaño Sánchez, and Adrián Navia Segovia (University of Los Andes, Venezuela) Language of the Episode: Spanish

In this episode, Vanessa Márquez Vargas, Debby Avendaño Sánchez, and Adrián Navia Segovia, all from the University of Los Andes, Venezuela, present a hybrid theme combining text and image, with the goal of showing, from their perspective and experiences, how objects, walls, absences, and design shape social and spatial realities. For this, the cultural, urban, and architectural dimensions of belonging have been taken into consideration in order to foster a dialogue about the ‘Us’ & ‘Them’ dichotomy through three brief sections: 1) The Shoe as a Semiotic Object; 2) The Absence of Feet: The Uninhabited Space; 3) "Walking in Someone Else's Shoes": The Architect and the Community.

Description of the Theme by the Presenters “For us, what we have been saying and observing here just scratches the surface of the complex dynamics of belonging and alterity in everyday life, dynamics we believe deserve greater attention. Within these often-overlooked details, assumed as normalized, there is fertile ground for reflection and social action. The shoe, as a semiotic object, encodes status and identity, and in doing so, exposes social fractures. The absence of feet in urban spaces signals alienation, compelling us to reclaim the city as a shared place. In architecture, empathy transforms design into a collaborative act, creating spaces that resonate with community aspirations. These narratives challenge us to inhabit with intention, to bridge distances, tear down walls, and to walk, both literally and metaphorically, in the shoes of the other, forging a more inclusive, participatory, and meaningful world. Yet the question persists: Can we truly feel what the other feels, or will there always be an insurmountable distance? Each of us must arrive at our own answer, one that may spark dialogue, internal monologue, or, better yet, conscious action toward those we label as 'other' and normalize as 'them' in the continuous present.”

Línea del Tiempo (00:00) Intro (00:23) Presentación de Vanessa Márquez Vargas, Debby Avendaño Sánchez y Adrián Navia Segovia por Sinan Barış Yaşar (03:18) Presentación del tema en español por Vanessa Márquez Vargas “¿Dónde están los pies?” Narrativas de pertenencia y alteridad (04:47) Parte 1: “El Zapato como objeto semiótico” por Vanessa Márquez Vargas (09:39) Parte 2: “La ausencia de los pies: los espacios deshabitados” por Adrián Navia Segovia (21:43) Parte 3: “Caminando con los zapatos del otro: el Arquitecto y la Comunidad” por Debby Avendaño Sánchez (32:11) Reflexión integradora: dimensiones articuladas en un continuum semiótico (34:33) Cierre del tema, agradecimiento y despedida

Timeline (00:00) Intro (00:23) Presentation of Vanessa Márquez Vargas, Debby Avendaño Sánchez, and Adrián Navia Segovia by Sinan Barış Yaşar (03:18) Topic introduction in Spanish by Vanessa Márquez Vargas: “Where Are the Feet?” Narratives of Belonging and Alterity (04:47) Part 1: “The Shoe as a Semiotic Object” by Vanessa Márquez Vargas (09:39) Part 2: “The Absence of Feet: The Uninhabited Space” by Adrián Navia Segovia (21:43) Part 3: “Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes: The Architect and the Community” by Debby Avendaño Sánchez (32:11) Integrative Reflection: Dimensions Articulated in a Semiotic Continuum (34:33) Closing of the Topic, Thanks, and Farewell

Palabras clave zapato, semiótica, arquitectura, pertenencia, alteridad, espacios urbanos, empatía, comunidad, Venezuela, ciencias sociales, humanidades, lengua, identidad, proyectos de diseño, estudios culturales, cultura, objetos culturales, arquitectura colaborativa

Keywords shoe, semiotics, architecture, belonging, alterity, urban spaces, empathy, community, Venezuela, social sciences, humanities, language, identity, design projects, cultural studies, culture, cultural objects, collaborative architecture