Wastemas in Williamsburg
Hacking the Branding of Public Space: The Artvertiser
There is a nice project currently created for hacking the visual representation of open urban space by creating means to sublime the quite intense branding in public open spaces in certain urban centers around the globe. If we consider how important and (pre)dominant billboards and commercial signs have become in defining how our cities look like and with which information our society gets feed and conditioned every day.
The Artvertiser, is 'a software platform for replacing billboard advertisements with art in real-time. It works by teaching computers to 'recognise' individual advertisements so they can be easily replaced with alternative content, like images and video.' [source]
The project was initiated by Julian Oliver in February 2008 and is now being developed in collaboration with Damian Stewart.
The developers refer to the artvertiser 'as a form of Augmented Reality technology' and consider it to be 'an example of Improved Reality.' [source]
See how The Artvertiser works:
Augmented Billboards 2: The Artvertiser @ Transmediale 2010 from Julian Oliver on Vimeo.
The Artvertiser was released as fully working beta software and has been appearing in Berlin as part of Transmediale 2010, in Brussels for the Europe wide Media Facades Festival and in four inner-city walks during Rotterdam's Image Festival. [source]
Please see Julian Oliver's TEDx talk in which he explains more about The Artvertiser. I will buy the first batch of Artvertiser sunglasses!
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| Art lover hunting for fresh impressions with the help of The Artvertiser. [copyright The Artvertiser via image source] |
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| Funtional diagram of The Artvertiser. [image copyright and source Julian Oliver] |
The developers refer to the artvertiser 'as a form of Augmented Reality technology' and consider it to be 'an example of Improved Reality.' [source]
See how The Artvertiser works:
Augmented Billboards 2: The Artvertiser @ Transmediale 2010 from Julian Oliver on Vimeo.
The Artvertiser was released as fully working beta software and has been appearing in Berlin as part of Transmediale 2010, in Brussels for the Europe wide Media Facades Festival and in four inner-city walks during Rotterdam's Image Festival. [source]
Please see Julian Oliver's TEDx talk in which he explains more about The Artvertiser. I will buy the first batch of Artvertiser sunglasses!
Edge Design Institute in Hong Kong
This is a photo documentary from a visit to 'Edge Design Institute LTD' in Hong Kong which I am happy to present with a little delay as it was submersed on my hard drives until now.
We were welcomed at the dense and homely office space of Edge Design by it's principal Gary Chang who founded Edge Design in 1994 and has since been engaged in 'innovative multidisciplinary design with the core focus on space,' producing 'original and creative solutions from the scale of urban planning, architecture, interior, exhibition, to the scale of tableware.' [quoted]
The spatial arrangement and efficiency, paired with beautiful design solutions found in the office of Edge Design, reflect specific aspects of design work produced in and for Hong Kong.
It may be mere density as main narrative of urbanism and life in Hong Kong which creates the conditions in which Edge Design is reacting with a design approach that is engaged with applying efficient spatial solutions to create functional, yet poetic architecture with minimal aesthetics.
One tool used in the office of Edge Design for sketching first drafts is simple Lego. According to Chang this allows him and his team to quickly discuss specific spatial arrangements as well as functional relationships of spaces and volumes.
The creative output of Edge Design encompasses architecture across all scales (see images within this post), product design, public art and as well publications of innovative book designs presenting the office's work and Gary Chang's practice as design critic.
The book 'Hotel as Home' for example presents highlights of and thoughts developed during Gary Chang's constant travel activities which are relating to Chang's work as critic of design hotels. Chang apparently spends about 2/3 of his time in hotels and is remarkably knowledgeable about design hotels all around the world.
Another example of Chang's publishing activity presents a very personal and innovative project in Hong Kong. The book 'My 32 m² Apartment', portrays history and transformation process of his private apartment where he grew up and still lives and which he transformed in 2007 into a highly functional and densely designed apartment. Chang's place has since been referenced in numerous magazines and on international TV where it was rightly portrayed as forward thinking and even 'green'. Just today I saw an online video of a prominent 'green' thinker who plans to transform his NYC apartment into a Chang-like place.
When Chang showed us around in his place it felt like witnessing a spatial ceremony. Chang is (if he's home) part of his flat which almost seems like his extended body as it reacts to the specific demands of the moment, being it relaxing in a hammock or having a glass of wine. Chang named the place his 'Domestic Transformer' and describes that: "not I am moving in my house, my house is moving around me."
We were welcomed at the dense and homely office space of Edge Design by it's principal Gary Chang who founded Edge Design in 1994 and has since been engaged in 'innovative multidisciplinary design with the core focus on space,' producing 'original and creative solutions from the scale of urban planning, architecture, interior, exhibition, to the scale of tableware.' [quoted]
It may be mere density as main narrative of urbanism and life in Hong Kong which creates the conditions in which Edge Design is reacting with a design approach that is engaged with applying efficient spatial solutions to create functional, yet poetic architecture with minimal aesthetics.
One tool used in the office of Edge Design for sketching first drafts is simple Lego. According to Chang this allows him and his team to quickly discuss specific spatial arrangements as well as functional relationships of spaces and volumes.
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| Lego model of Hong Kong-like urban density. |
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| 'Treasure Box for Urban Nomads' 2007 [image courtesy of Edge Design] |
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| 'The Cascade' 2006 [image courtesy of Edge Design] |
The book 'Hotel as Home' for example presents highlights of and thoughts developed during Gary Chang's constant travel activities which are relating to Chang's work as critic of design hotels. Chang apparently spends about 2/3 of his time in hotels and is remarkably knowledgeable about design hotels all around the world.
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| Gary Chang 'Hotel as Home'. [image courtesy of Edge Design] |
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| 'Gary's Apartment' 2007 [image courtesy of Edge Design] |
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| Transformation of 'Gary's Apartment' 2007 [image courtesy of Edge Design] |
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| Residential complex development, Beijing, China. 2009 [image courtesy of Edge Design] |
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| 'International Concept Plan Competition West Kowloon' 2001. [image courtesy by Edge Design] |
Wastemas Documented by Amkei
This will most probably be the last wastemas entry for this year. Thanks to my friend Amkei for the opened eyes and lens! Images from Vienna, Austria.
Opening 'Jugaad Urbanism' at AIA New York
Today opened the exhibition 'Jugaad Urbanism' at the American Institute of Architects' New York chapter. The exhibition is the first of its kind in the US to elaborate on contemporary Indian urbanism and is accompanied by collateral programs such as a symposium, several panels and a family day, all happening at the AIA NY.
'Jugaad Urbanism' is organized in four sections according to (urban) resources: land, water, energy and transportation and is built up from two perspectives: The 'jugaad' approach, representing urban innovations, fixes and everyday appliances reflecting the meaning of the Hindi word 'jugaad' which refers to an innovative fix, a bending of rules or a new way of using resources. And, the (architectural, urban, landscape) designer's perspective to decide to seek (design) solutions which are informed by these adaptive urban strategies.
'Jugaad urbanism' shows us positive approaches to a lively, sustainable ('green') urban development on the Indian subcontinent, which respect, learn from, and integrate urban 'jugaad' (grassroots) phenomena and mix these with well reflected architectural ingenuity. The resulting design projects manage to tackle pressing urban issues in India in an individual way without overpowering the local stakeholders and thereby lead to solutions and structures of unique beauty and adequacy.
The exhibition is a dense showcase of projects with an inspiring, project-related intelligence and an example for an architectural practice which is becoming more intensively engaged with social complexity and participatory methods. The show itself successfully manages to avoid a romantic view of the designer as savior and negates the (urban development) approach of mere improvement-oriented, quick and superficial fixes to urban issues and specific problems.
It is rather a strong sense of 'togetherness' which is celebrated in the exhibition, witnessing a reciprocal relationship between responsible designers and clients which are fully engaged by the design. It is up to the visitor to take the lesson home for his or her own practice: Why not embracing everyday experience, innovation and wisdom? Thereby producing work which is culturally more embedded, able to truly speak to the users, and, informs their daily lives towards the better.
'Jugaad Urbanism' is opened until May 21st at the American Institute of Architects' New York chapter.
It is rather a strong sense of 'togetherness' which is celebrated in the exhibition, witnessing a reciprocal relationship between responsible designers and clients which are fully engaged by the design. It is up to the visitor to take the lesson home for his or her own practice: Why not embracing everyday experience, innovation and wisdom? Thereby producing work which is culturally more embedded, able to truly speak to the users, and, informs their daily lives towards the better.
'Jugaad Urbanism' is opened until May 21st at the American Institute of Architects' New York chapter.
Screening of 'The Gruen Effect' at the Austrian Cultural Forum New York
Tonite the film 'The Gruen Effect - Victor Gruen and the Shopping Mall' by Anette Baldauf and Katharina Weingartner was shown at the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York (ACFNY).
The film is a very informative and entertaining documentary, tracing the most creative and influential time of Vienna-born architect Victor Gruen's life during which he and his wife, Elsie Krummeck, developed the concept of a 'shopping town', today known as shopping center.
'The Gruen Effect' is edited as montage from historical footage, animated drawings, live footage from Vienna and New York and interviews at different locations in the these two cities. Reflecting Gruen's 'renaissance' character, the film is diverse and full of (visual) humor, such as one scene using historical footage of a woman escaping some cars at a traffic light while a voice is reading a passage from Gruen's unpublished autobiography dealing with the (for Gruen) troublesome fact that cars were becoming more and more important for American society in the fifties and sixties.
The film shows some widely unknown history of the historical development of the shopping center, an architectural (and predominately economical) model which was so influential in Western societies over the last fifty years.
Gruen & Krummeck developed the concept of a shopping town/city initially as a social utopia, as a new, socially active and attractive urban center for a largely female and neglected population living in the newly built and (socially as well as culturally) deserted suburbs in the US. The first 'shopping town' designed by Gruen &Krummeck was built in California in 1945. These initial concepts of Gruen & Krummeck were designed in admiration of vibrant European city centers (Gruen loved the busy life in pre-war Vienna) and therefore included facilities like kindergartens, playground and other social amenities which were later stripped away from the shopping city layout by profit oriented investors who adapted the shopping city to become the shopping center and ultimately the mall. The rest is ((sub)urban) history and you can refer to an article by Anette Baldauf to read more about these pioneering times.
As a fifty minute movie 'The Gruen Effect' is densely filled with information and shows the historical developments of the (humanistic) idea of the urban shopping experience leading to (material) fulfillment and numerous life-like and honest contradictions.
So Gruen's pioneering role in developed the shopping city made him a successful entrepreneur and in the States a celebrated 'starchitect'. Fter 30 years in the US he decied to leave to Vienna again and was there stripped off his title as architect (he had in fact never finished his architecture studies in Vienna) and was faced with a rapidly growing consumer culture which endangered his so much loved humane and traditional urban fabric in Vienna. The ghosts I was calling...
'The Gruen Effect' depicts as well the current decay of the idea of the singular-use shopping mall with footage shot in the closed-down and derelict 'Midtown Plaza' which was designed by Gruen in the center of Rochester to counteract suburbanization.
The film depicts as well Gruen's role in shaping the modern urban planning in Vienna. He initially wanted to green the city and close the inner city for traffic, realized was the pedestrian area in Kärntner Strasse and Graben which nowadays represents an open-air shopping center as an example of 'Scheinurbanismus' (illusive urbanism) as Alex Wall states in the movie.
In the end of 'The Gruen Effect' we are confronted by architect Alan Bruton that it is about us - the citizens - to decide if we want a city where we can either be citizens or left to be mere consumers. We decide that every day.
After the screening, a panel discussion was adding up to the movie with a conversation about the movie, Gruen's life, personality and contemporary recognition. The conversation reminded about the fact that the shopping center as (economical) model has been turned inside out, from suburban locations back into the city and is now present as predominant model for urbanism throughout the (capitalized) globe.
To see 'The Gruen Effect
If you are quick to read this: There is another screening in NYC, tomorrow Friday, 4th of February at Parsons New School of Constructed Environments, which is followed by a panel discussion as well.
The film is a very informative and entertaining documentary, tracing the most creative and influential time of Vienna-born architect Victor Gruen's life during which he and his wife, Elsie Krummeck, developed the concept of a 'shopping town', today known as shopping center.
 |
| Still from 'The Gruen Effect' with Victor Gruen to the right. [image via derstandard] |
'The Gruen Effect' is edited as montage from historical footage, animated drawings, live footage from Vienna and New York and interviews at different locations in the these two cities. Reflecting Gruen's 'renaissance' character, the film is diverse and full of (visual) humor, such as one scene using historical footage of a woman escaping some cars at a traffic light while a voice is reading a passage from Gruen's unpublished autobiography dealing with the (for Gruen) troublesome fact that cars were becoming more and more important for American society in the fifties and sixties.
The film shows some widely unknown history of the historical development of the shopping center, an architectural (and predominately economical) model which was so influential in Western societies over the last fifty years.
Gruen & Krummeck developed the concept of a shopping town/city initially as a social utopia, as a new, socially active and attractive urban center for a largely female and neglected population living in the newly built and (socially as well as culturally) deserted suburbs in the US. The first 'shopping town' designed by Gruen &Krummeck was built in California in 1945. These initial concepts of Gruen & Krummeck were designed in admiration of vibrant European city centers (Gruen loved the busy life in pre-war Vienna) and therefore included facilities like kindergartens, playground and other social amenities which were later stripped away from the shopping city layout by profit oriented investors who adapted the shopping city to become the shopping center and ultimately the mall. The rest is ((sub)urban) history and you can refer to an article by Anette Baldauf to read more about these pioneering times.
 |
| Northland Center in Detroit by 'Victor Gruen Associates'. [image via Mute] |
So Gruen's pioneering role in developed the shopping city made him a successful entrepreneur and in the States a celebrated 'starchitect'. Fter 30 years in the US he decied to leave to Vienna again and was there stripped off his title as architect (he had in fact never finished his architecture studies in Vienna) and was faced with a rapidly growing consumer culture which endangered his so much loved humane and traditional urban fabric in Vienna. The ghosts I was calling...
'The Gruen Effect' depicts as well the current decay of the idea of the singular-use shopping mall with footage shot in the closed-down and derelict 'Midtown Plaza' which was designed by Gruen in the center of Rochester to counteract suburbanization.
The film depicts as well Gruen's role in shaping the modern urban planning in Vienna. He initially wanted to green the city and close the inner city for traffic, realized was the pedestrian area in Kärntner Strasse and Graben which nowadays represents an open-air shopping center as an example of 'Scheinurbanismus' (illusive urbanism) as Alex Wall states in the movie.
In the end of 'The Gruen Effect' we are confronted by architect Alan Bruton that it is about us - the citizens - to decide if we want a city where we can either be citizens or left to be mere consumers. We decide that every day.
 |
| Panel discussion with Katharina Weingartner, Peggy and Michael Gruen, Katharina Posch, Anette Baldauf and Alan Bruton. |
After the screening, a panel discussion was adding up to the movie with a conversation about the movie, Gruen's life, personality and contemporary recognition. The conversation reminded about the fact that the shopping center as (economical) model has been turned inside out, from suburban locations back into the city and is now present as predominant model for urbanism throughout the (capitalized) globe.
To see 'The Gruen Effect
If you are quick to read this: There is another screening in NYC, tomorrow Friday, 4th of February at Parsons New School of Constructed Environments, which is followed by a panel discussion as well.
Project Projects in New York City
Recently I visited one office in New York, Project Projects, which is involved in processes of designing and guiding our experience and knowledge about landscape, architecture, the city and alike, thereby contributing to shape our (mental) image of real places and environments, but who as well create situations to question and enrich our understanding of the (urban) environment we live in.
Project Projects is a design studio focusing on print, identity, exhibition, and interactive work with clients in art and architecture. The studio was founded in 2004 by Prem Krishnamurthy and Adam Michaels; Rob Giampetro joined as principal in 2010. Project Projects work for numerous institutions and offices, including Bernard Tschumi Architects, Field Operations, Guggenheim Museum, MOMA, Princeton Architectural Press, or, Steven Holl Architects, amongst other. Next to these client-specific projects, the studio as well initiates and produces independent curatorial and publishing projects.
The conversation with Prem Krishnamurthy took place during New York City's pre-Christmas buzz, which left us just enough time to briefly touch some aspects of the work done at the studio.
Asked about aspects of craftsmanship in the studio, Krishnamurthy mentioned that handwork is very important and is something often talked about within the studio. He mentioned that it is important for Project projects that their work is coherent and exact and that a certain transparency exists during the design process which is as well reflected in the finished product. Within the diverse range of work done by Project Projects, the concept is, as intellectual backbone, equally important as handwork and a love for details. What finally proves the product's quality is it's congruent representation in the specific context.
Regarding the very diverse output of Project Projects, ranging from the design of single books to whole identities for museums or parks, there is often a very unique aesthetic signature, reflecting that for Project Projects it is more important that their design supports the specific content of the product, and does not represent a certain style stemming from the office itself. In that sense, content is used to derive a unique visual appearance and not a (pre-marketed) visual appearance used to sell the content.
It is interesting that, despite the (as well graphically) very diverse output of the studio, the design of the Project Projects webpage is very calm and reduced. What decides about the specific form of a certain product coming from the Project Projects studio?
Within the studio there exists a good degree of creative freedom with different approaches and work routines informing each other. Asked about his personal work process, and the importance of head and/or hand within this process, Prem Krishnamurthy told me that his work is characterized by a first deep intellectual engagement with the specific task, then followed by the production of initial sketches whose number is dependent on the project and which are used to outline different scenarios. In this process the mental (pre)work is very fruitful and its importance often appearing later, once the hand started to sketch.
For Prem Krishnamurthy it is important that all the initial ideas are well tested and live up to the studio's quality standards. Then, in the process of reflection with the client, there should be only the relevant few left, the scenarios which you are convinced about, so a satisfying decision can be reached together with the client.
This process diverges a little for the task of producing 'identities', whole representations for clients such as museums or publishers for example. In finding a new identity it can be very fruitful to openly show various ideas and even mix different ideas to create an identity the client is well represented with.
Currently Project Projects is as well involved in the process of transforming one of the world's vastest landfills, the Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island, into the largest public park developed in New York City since more than 100 years. Together with the landscape architects Field Operations and New York City's Department of Parks & Recreation, Project Projects is designing the identity for the new park and a signage system which uses existing structures and indicates the long-term (30 years) transformation of the site.
The Freshkills-slogan "re imagine" reminded me that we can differentiate aspects and meanings of landscapes according to the levels of the real, the imaginary and the symbolic. I supposed that Project Projects in this case was aiming to create a different understanding for the place in the mental image of Staten Island and NYC residents. Prem Krishnamurthy replied that Fresh Kills is at this point both, a real and an imaginary place as nothing has been constructed yet, so at this point, they are working with the imaginary representation of the site.
In the case of Freshkills park, the aim of Project Projects is to use graphics and visual design to nourish people's fantasy to develop a prospect of what can happen at the Fresh Kills landfill if turned into a public park.
The act of placemaking and imaginary re-design of Fresh Kills started by a simple, yet clever intervention by the designers. The designers renamed the 'Fresh Kills landfill' into 'Freshkills Park' to allow people to create new associations to the place.
As Krishnamurthy states "it is about the creation of possibilities" at a site already monumental because of the sheer vastness of space and the distinct existing structures. The design for the park's identity and signage therefore followed the approach of 're-purposing' existing elements on the site. Diggers will be used to mount signs and an initial design idea proposed to use corten steel on the site for the signage.
One example for a landscape-related publication designed by Project Projects is Alan Berger's 'Drosscape - Wasting Land in Urban America', published by Princeton Architectural Press. Project Projects worked in this case with the existing graphics and a manuscript and successfully adapted initial design ideas to support readability and usability of the publication. Thereby the (book)designers helped the readers to understand certain landscape phenomena and are an important support for scholars to successfully get their word out in an aesthetic and graphically clear form.
Project projects is as well active as independent publisher and editor. One good example for this work is the book 'Above the Pavement - The Farm!'. The book was published within the Project Projects spin-off 'Inventory Books' which is 'a platform for the synthesis of textual and visual research on transformations in urban spaces and culture. The series is edited by Adam Michaels, designed at Project Projects, published by Princeton Architectural Press' and presents rigorous content in an accessible format for a diverse public.' [source]
'Above the Pavement - The Farm' presents text, drawings and images to document the processes which led to the final form of the 'Public Farm PF1', designed and organized by WORKac and built by over 150 volunteers at PS1 in 2008. The book presents oral histories of all people involved in the process and was an interesting alternative approach (to glossy architecture publications) for Project Projects to present architectural design by making 'tactile architectural processes' available to the readers. This book is especially interesting for architects and students of architecture or landscape architecture as they can learn about 'real' processes of architectural (and landscape) construction from how the book is 'demystifying a fast-paced, complex collaborative process.' [source]
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| Project Projects principals depicted for the series 'Project Projects Postcards', (2005). [image courtesy of Project Projects] |
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| Fraction of the bookshelf in the studio of Project Projects. |
Asked about aspects of craftsmanship in the studio, Krishnamurthy mentioned that handwork is very important and is something often talked about within the studio. He mentioned that it is important for Project projects that their work is coherent and exact and that a certain transparency exists during the design process which is as well reflected in the finished product. Within the diverse range of work done by Project Projects, the concept is, as intellectual backbone, equally important as handwork and a love for details. What finally proves the product's quality is it's congruent representation in the specific context.
Regarding the very diverse output of Project Projects, ranging from the design of single books to whole identities for museums or parks, there is often a very unique aesthetic signature, reflecting that for Project Projects it is more important that their design supports the specific content of the product, and does not represent a certain style stemming from the office itself. In that sense, content is used to derive a unique visual appearance and not a (pre-marketed) visual appearance used to sell the content.
 |
| Website design (2010) for North Grant Park, Chicago by landscape architects MVVA. [image courtesy of Project Projects] |
Within the studio there exists a good degree of creative freedom with different approaches and work routines informing each other. Asked about his personal work process, and the importance of head and/or hand within this process, Prem Krishnamurthy told me that his work is characterized by a first deep intellectual engagement with the specific task, then followed by the production of initial sketches whose number is dependent on the project and which are used to outline different scenarios. In this process the mental (pre)work is very fruitful and its importance often appearing later, once the hand started to sketch.
 |
| Exhibition design for 'Fast Trash', 2010. [image courtesy of Project Projects] |
For Prem Krishnamurthy it is important that all the initial ideas are well tested and live up to the studio's quality standards. Then, in the process of reflection with the client, there should be only the relevant few left, the scenarios which you are convinced about, so a satisfying decision can be reached together with the client.
This process diverges a little for the task of producing 'identities', whole representations for clients such as museums or publishers for example. In finding a new identity it can be very fruitful to openly show various ideas and even mix different ideas to create an identity the client is well represented with.
 |
| Project Projects designed identity, signage and environmental graphics for Hudson River Park Pier 62, (2010). [image courtesy of Project Projects] |
Currently Project Projects is as well involved in the process of transforming one of the world's vastest landfills, the Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island, into the largest public park developed in New York City since more than 100 years. Together with the landscape architects Field Operations and New York City's Department of Parks & Recreation, Project Projects is designing the identity for the new park and a signage system which uses existing structures and indicates the long-term (30 years) transformation of the site.
 |
| Visually staging the appearance of Freshkills park. [image courtesy of Project Projects] |
In the case of Freshkills park, the aim of Project Projects is to use graphics and visual design to nourish people's fantasy to develop a prospect of what can happen at the Fresh Kills landfill if turned into a public park.
 |
| Re-use of existing structures in creating freshkills park. [image courtesy of project projects] |
The act of placemaking and imaginary re-design of Fresh Kills started by a simple, yet clever intervention by the designers. The designers renamed the 'Fresh Kills landfill' into 'Freshkills Park' to allow people to create new associations to the place.
As Krishnamurthy states "it is about the creation of possibilities" at a site already monumental because of the sheer vastness of space and the distinct existing structures. The design for the park's identity and signage therefore followed the approach of 're-purposing' existing elements on the site. Diggers will be used to mount signs and an initial design idea proposed to use corten steel on the site for the signage.
 |
| Initial design for park signages made from solid steel found on site at freshkills park. [image courtesy of project projects] |
One example for a landscape-related publication designed by Project Projects is Alan Berger's 'Drosscape - Wasting Land in Urban America', published by Princeton Architectural Press. Project Projects worked in this case with the existing graphics and a manuscript and successfully adapted initial design ideas to support readability and usability of the publication. Thereby the (book)designers helped the readers to understand certain landscape phenomena and are an important support for scholars to successfully get their word out in an aesthetic and graphically clear form.
 |
| Proof for "Drosscape - Wasting Land in Urban America' by Alan Berger, book design by Project Projects, (2006). |
'Above the Pavement - The Farm' presents text, drawings and images to document the processes which led to the final form of the 'Public Farm PF1', designed and organized by WORKac and built by over 150 volunteers at PS1 in 2008. The book presents oral histories of all people involved in the process and was an interesting alternative approach (to glossy architecture publications) for Project Projects to present architectural design by making 'tactile architectural processes' available to the readers. This book is especially interesting for architects and students of architecture or landscape architecture as they can learn about 'real' processes of architectural (and landscape) construction from how the book is 'demystifying a fast-paced, complex collaborative process.' [source]
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| 'Above the Pavement - The Farm' readable as 'maybe the biggest book of the summer' at Union Square market, 2010. [image courtesy of Inventory Books] |
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| Collateral materials for 'The Good Life'. [image courtesy of Project Projects] |
In 2006 Project project was designing identity, printed materials, website and motion graphics for the exhibition 'The Good Life: Public Spaces for Recreation'. Talking about the work on this project, Prem Krishnamurthy underlined the importance that the visual design for exhibitions unifies the reading and seeing to support the viewer's engagement with the subject. In the case of exhibition design, the studio seeks to create 'immersive exhibitions' which contain various depths of information so that people can freely engage with the exhibition on various levels and can let themselves be drawn closer and closer to the subject.
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| Exhibition 'The Good Life' at pier 40, Manhattan west. [image courtesy of Project Projects] |
For the 2005 artist group exhibition 'The Plain of Heaven' Project Projects was responsible for designing exhibition graphics, catalog, website and collaterial materials. The exhibition took place in a building destined to be demolished at the southern terminus of the High Line. The exhibition graphics were spray-painted in stencils and the catalog contained some hidden narrative on the inside of the french-folded pages.
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| Location of exhibition 'The Plain of Heaven' in 2005, nowadays busy as High Line Park southern access. [image courtesy of Project projects] |
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| Exhibition catalog of 'The Plain of Heaven'. [image courtesy of Project Projects] |
Concluding the visit to Project Projects, Krishnamurthy stated that the best work they are doing is possible in situations where their own fields of interest (he mentioned architecture, landscape architecture, art and urban planning, amongst others) are represented in the content of the projects and allow the studio's team to personally engage with the subject matter and be inspired by it. I wish the team of Project Projects that they can continue to enrich and support our gathering of (visual) knowledge and continue in an inspired way to create extraordinary situations in public, virtual and printed space which in turn allow us to become inspired.
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