Re: [-empyre-] Catherine Ingraham

[Christiane Robbins <cpr@mindspring.com>]

Thanks for such an engaging and lively discussion – my only regret is  
not being able to participate as much as I would like.

Quickly in response to:

“I am interested in the mediaskin architecture and, in general, using
blank surfaces of the facade and walls as canvases and screens and
opportunities for reminding us about forces at work in and around us.
Advertising is the usual script for these kinds of things and without
advocating advertising   I want to say that it is not easy to find a
script, political or otherwise, for architecture.  Laura Kurgan, whom I
mentioned to you earlier, is using mapping as a kind of script in her
Architecture and Justice project (see Spatial Information Design Lab on
Columbia website); Liz Diller and Ric Scofidio, in their early work in
particular, used a kind mediaskins as a way of writing  film noir and
travelogue narratives into architecture (the "arrival" of people  
entering
through a revolving door is broadcast into the interior; a "view"  
that the
house does not have is broadcast into the living room); Rem Koolhaas,  
now
with a very big commerical practice, used advertising in the Prada
building in a both suspect and yet provocative way. Many of these
moves--political messages, critiques of domestic life, critiques of
tourism, critiques of the culture of spectacle--are "architecturally
generated", only readable in light of the history of architecture.  This
is the drastic autonomy and hermeticism that was mentioned earlier.   
Very
hard to script architecture. “


It strikes me that we are discussing hybrid practices that are not  
solely readable within the history of architecture.  In fact, it may  
be a disservice to do so, as these examples speak to an inspired  
moment in our collective cultural histories of which we both iterate  
and replicate to this day.  In their day (80’s) and context ( post- 
structural / dare I say- and I hate to, post-modern ), these works  
were considered by the field to be highly experimental within the  
framework of conventional disciplines.  Their transdisciplinarity and  
non-commercialism was intended as a rupture and was considered as such.

Arguably, Diller and Scrofidio were not considered “true” architects  
by the field, as much of their earlier work was sited in and scripted  
by the conceptually generous directives offered by alternative spaces  
( Capp St. Project ) and Museum Project spaces.  Although, indeed,  
their projects were commissioned, they were not defined by the  
currency and commercial aspirations of larger scale architectural  
commissions.  These practices were a product of theoretical positions  
and cultural histories scripted by the layered narratives and  
trajectories of a particular creative moment in the USA and the EU –  
a moment which has been assimilated 20 years later by the mechanisms  
of market forces and distribution driven by capitalism – as to be  
expected within this economic structure.

My apologies as I do need to run but I did want to participate a bit  
in the discussion – thanks again!

Chris






On Sep 13, 2007, at 5:05 AM, cingraha@pratt.edu wrote:

> I am interested in the mediaskin architecture and, in general, using
> blank surfaces of the facade and walls as canvases and screens and
> opportunities for reminding us about forces at work in and around us.
> Advertising is the usual script for these kinds of things and without
> advocating advertising   I want to say that it is not easy to find a
> script, political or otherwise, for architecture.  Laura Kurgan,  
> whom I
> mentioned to you earlier, is using mapping as a kind of script in her
> Architecture and Justice project (see Spatial Information Design  
> Lab on
> Columbia website); Liz Diller and Ric Scofidio, in their early work in
> particular, used a kind mediaskins as a way of writing  film noir and
> travelogue narratives into architecture (the "arrival" of people  
> entering
> through a revolving door is broadcast into the interior; a "view"  
> that the
> house does not have is broadcast into the living room); Rem  
> Koolhaas, now
> with a very big commerical practice, used advertising in the Prada
> building in a both suspect and yet provocative way. Many of these
> moves--political messages, critiques of domestic life, critiques of
> tourism, critiques of the culture of spectacle--are "architecturally
> generated", only readable in light of the history of architecture.   
> This
> is the drastic autonomy and hermeticism that was mentioned  
> earlier.  Very
> hard to script architecture.

Christiane Robbins


- JETZTZEIT -
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Walter Benjamin


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The present age prefers the sign to the thing signified, the copy to  
the original, fancy to reality, the appearance to the essence for in  
these days illusion only is sacred, truth profane.

Ludwig Feuerbach, 1804-1872,



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