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(photo by tricia)

Adolfo Natalini

The Netherlands 1997-2001

The Netherlands 1996-2002

The Netherlands 1995-2000

The members of Superstudio (previous post) eventually parted ways and notably one of their founding members Adolfo Natalini went on to design and execute actual buildings. This was a major departure from his radical past with the group which emphasized the power of communication and ideas over practice. His later work has been critiqued for abandoning these early revolutionary ideals to practice a self-described 'anti-modern' aesthetic. To me this seems a natural evolution from a youthful protest to responsible action.

"Today, architecture has been homogenized by a cynical and useless experimentalism: the only possible reaction is a return to order or, better, tradition (the consolidated patrimony of successful experiments). I wish to counter the utopia of globalization with harsh local realities and a great longing for beauty." - Adolfo Natalini

I showed Natalini's work to my architect grandfather and devoted follower of modernism. His response, "that's not anti-modern, it's advanced Nazi." Ha. I can see the validity in his comparison, somehow both parties interest in order and tradition has met somewhere in-between their polar philosophical extremes.

Life without Objects

Superstudio was an architecture group founded in Italy (1966-1978) by Natalini, Torrelado di Francia, Alessandro, Roberto Magris and Piero Frassinelli. Coming out of post-war Italy the group rejected the revivalist reconstruction of their cities. New buildings emerged with poor construction and unjust social divisions. Superstudio critiqued this environment by "highjacking the language of architecture" through photo-montage, collage, drawings, and videos. Most of their designs were never built as they were impossible and more effective as satirical and playful solutions to the consumerism of design.

Here Supersudio's reflective architecture proposes a reversal of the consumerist action of tourism by encasing the Golden Gate bridge in a mirrored cube.

"Continuous Monument" is a photo-collage series in which a gridded superstructure extends across the surface of the world.

The group designed a collection of archetypal furniture in white laminate printed with a continuous grid. The intent of the black on white grid was to create a neutral surface allowing these everyday objects to take background to our lives.

Chantel Akerman

Stills from Chantel Akerman's 1972 New's from Home. Beautiful shot's of Manhattan's seemingly bleak lower east side of the 1970's. The protagonist of the film, who is never seen or heard, has recently moved here and the narration is propelled by her mother's voice reading the letters she has written to her daughter who she misses terribly.

Object Exchange

I will be hosting an object exchange, from 1-3pm on September 17th, 2011

Object Exchange
Andrew Rafacz Gallery
835 W. Washington Blvd.
Chicago, IL

Guests are invited to bring objects to contribute/offer, and take other objects from the space. These discarded/refound/chance objects will be arranged on the staircase pyramid, converting the space into a store display, chance arrangement, and object exchange for two hours. The flux of arranged objects will be photographed as a series of chance still life arrangements.

2 tumblrs

ofanotherfashion.tumblr.com and fuckyeahethnicmodels.tumblr.com

real life

Adrian Piper My Calling Card (1986-90)

via Black Visual Archive