To me, one of the most impressive works on the Biennale Venice 2013 is/was the short film by Neil Beloufa; Kempinski. A 14-minute film shot in Mali in which the imagination plays an important role. “the buildings are in light form, there are no settled doors in it. So, we enter where we want. we go out when we want and how we want“. (As far as I know this film is not distributed yet.)
Tuesday, July 9th.2013; after the first presentation on Feb. 8th. 2013 a one-day conference chaired by Prof. Luciano Floridi on the EC’s Onlife Initiative Manifesto in Brussels to proceed, gather critical expertise to discuss matters further and draw policy ideas. One day of inspiring discussions on “what does it mean to be human in a hyperconnected era”; largely based on the work of Hannah Arendt. The urge/need to add architecture – as in build environment – to the core of the Manifesto was acknowledged; being human implies the need for private space, hence some kind of architecture. See for further content the Futurium website.
Saturday, May 18th. at Korzo Theatre the Hague: two ‘disturbing’ fine lectures by Warren Neidich and Joe Davis, both moderated by filmmaker/visual artist/witer Frank Theys. Both focused on the hybrid forms between art, technology and science, providing disruptive examples of the boundary between the known and the uncharted, Organisation: Artscience
Chris Salter referring to Arakawa&Gins Reversible Destiny-project during a discussion on Displace 2.0:
“the general concept was that as we get older, we tend to lose sensory acuity – we lose our sense of smell, of taste, of tactile feeling. By designing architecture that would literally confuse the body, distort the same perceptual habits that you get used to day after day, one might prevent death – not literally, but metaphorically in the sense that death is really about falling into the blandness and lifelessness of routine.”
His project was presented at Todaysart Festival in 2012, theme this year was “the search and the loving for the undiscovered”. Let’s proceed………………..
Next Sunday; January 13th. a new film is shown in NAI’s Auditorium on the works of John Habraken: de Drager‘. John Habraken introduced a totally new vision for residential construction by separating the ‘support’ – the base building – and the ‘infill’, its fitting-out. The architect’s only responsibility was the design of the support, of ‘open buildings’ that users could then fit out for themselves. Sonja Lüthi and Marc Schwarz have made a film about Habraken’s body of thought.
On December 6th. 2012, Pedro Gadanho, MOMA’s curator for contemporary architecture, was present at Stroom the Hague for an illustrative lecture on Performance Architecture. Using images from the works of e,g. Gordon Matta-Clark, Haus Ruecker, Raumlabor, Exyzt and many others he discussed the links between architecture and art, between function and influence; adding social space by means of ‘city-performance’.
Until coming Saturday, Nov. 17th. an inter-active project by Usman Haque Design in Eindhoven at Strijp-S: Marling. Through mass-participation the voices of citizens are given form through spectacular effects that hang in the air above the crowd, forming a delicate, intricate ceiling of animated colour; a 3-d experience. See also the video.
On August 10th. 2012, at MU in Eindhoven the first phase of the project ‘Under Tomorrows Sky‘ was presented and will be extended over the coming month. From the website: “Under Tomorrows Sky is a fictional, future city. Speculative architect Liam Young of the London based Tomorrows Thoughts Today has assembled a think tank of scientists, technologists, futurists, illustrators, science fiction authors and special effects artists to collectively develop this imaginary place, the landscapes that surround it and the stories it contains.” More, much more than the Matrix meets StarWars…….
Sometimes we find a older text that refers to actual issues: one is an essay written in 1909 by Miguel de Unamuno called ‘Berganza y Zapiron‘. The first – being the dog – discusses with the latter – the cat – the pro’s and con’s of home and the street; or, rephrased private vs. public space. The text, only 8 wonderful pages is, with 4 others, published in German by Droschl as Essay 31. (my thanks to Sandrine von Klot from PublicSpace2.0)
Tot 21 oktober 2012 is in het MACBA in Barcelona een boeiende tentoonstelling te zien van het tijdloze werk van Gordon Matta-Clark; de helaas te vroeg overleden architect/kunstenaar die vooral bekendheid kreeg met zijn building-cuts: integrale insnedes van gebouwen. Zijn werk is echter nog uitsluitend te zien via video’s; het werd uitgevoerd op gebouwen die op de nominatie stonden te worden gesloopt.
Leestip: ‘Object to be destroyed’ van Pamela M.Lee.
