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Gehry's Veritago, courtesy of The Architecture Foundation
Koolhaas, Houselife, courtesy of The Architecture Foundation
Xmas, Meier, courtesy of The Architecture Foundation
LIVING ARCHITECTURES
January 21 - February 26, 2010
Media images and the innermost reality of a building have two separate lives which do not necessarily coincide at any given moment. By enjoining us to see the reality of the simulacra created by the media, ‘Koolhaas Houselife’ represents the leading edge to an interpretive approach of the physical and objective reality of a given space-- Stefano Boeri, Architect, Professor, Politecnico di Milano University, and Editor in Chief, Abitare
In their first collaborative project, The Architecture Foundation, London and New York’s Storefront for Art and Architecture are delighted to present Living Architectures, a simultaneous exhibition in London and New York to showcase the work of filmmakers Ila Bêka and Louise Lemoine. The duo’s acclaimed feature length documentary, Koolhaas HouseLife, previously appeared in Storefront for Art and Architecture’s 2008 group exhibition On Mock-ups, Home Videos and Housekeeping: a video exhibition in three parts, and premiered in the UK at The Architecture Foundation’s inaugural Architecture on Film programme.
Applying their keen eyes to architecture’s everyday use, Bêka and Lemoine create intimate portraits of iconic contemporary buildings, giving back-stage access to their inner lives and hidden workings. In this new transatlantic exhibition of their ongoing research into architecture as living form, parallel video installations will be presented at the AF and New York’s Storefront for Art and Architecture. The films depict the human occupations of Richard Meier’s church in Rome; Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Bilbao; and Herzog and de Meuron’s Pomerol winery, alongside further unseen footage of Koolhaas’s Maison à Bordeaux.
Transforming the AF Project Space and Storefront’s gallery into informal screening rooms for the duration of the exhibition, these four new videos will offer the world’s first opportunity to view the latest work from these celebrated filmmakers.
A revealing examination of iconic architecture in dialogue with its users - from line-dancing grape-pickers to abseiling windowcleaners – exploring architecture as an experience, rather than an image.
Born in Italy, Ila Bêka lives and works in Paris. An architect, director and video-artist, his films have been presented in many of the world’s most important film festivals. He is currently working on the Living Architectures series of contemporary architecture films and several video installations based on his collection of video-haikus. He is also currently preparing his second feature film.
Born in France, Louise Lemoîne lives and works in Paris. A graduate in cinema and philosophy at the Paris Sorbonne, she writes for a range of contemporary art foundations, alongside her regular contributions to an array of art and architecture magazines. A documentary and fiction film screenwriter, she is involved in many international cinematographic and documentary projects, alongside her work on the Living Architectures series of contemporary architecture films.
BêkaFilms is an Italian-French independent film production founded in 2001 by Ila Bêka and Francesco Pappalardo, with a leading position in contemporary cinematographic creation. BêkaFilms has produced many short films, alongside a range of documentaries and video art productions. Since 2004, the company has also begun producing feature films. Alongside the work of Ila Bêka, BêkaFilms produces the films of five other young filmmakers: Melo Prino, Tiros Niakaj, Luca Sivo, Sajith Boom and Luca Soriano. Further information, film extracts and trailers are available on the company’s website.
Venue: The Architecture Foundation, Ground Floor East, 136-148 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2TU, UK; Storefront for Art and Architecture, 97 Kenmare Street, New York, NY 10012, USA.
For more information please visit: The Architecture Foundation and Storefront for Art and Architecture
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