"The possible of sculpture, or I shall suffocate! " 1 The above epigraph, associated with the thought of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, can be traced back to Sören Kierkegaard.2 The initiator of existentialism, Kierkegaard envisaged the possible as an exit from a reality that has “become
All of Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s public sculptures are linked to messages of various sorts; however, in this text, it is their dialogue with urbanism and architecture that we seek to summarize, drawing on our book about their artistic work.1 In 1981, with the
Of the objects which are being carried in like manner, they would only see the shadows. To them, the truth would be literally nothing but the shadows of the images.1 —Plato, Allegory of the Cave On the spot. June, 2013 After having been welcomed by The Sun, a flamboyant work installed
Art begins not with the flesh, but with the house. That is why architecture is the first of the arts. —Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari 1 Tower, detour, contour In the summer of 2013, in one of Parc de la Villette meadows, in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, Tasdashi Kawamata, an
I believe that between utopias and these quite other sites, these heterotopias, there might be a sort of mixed, joint experience, which would be the mirror. The mirror is, after all, a utopia, since it is a placeless place. In the mirror, I see myself
It has often been said that the “society of the spectacle” is outmoded in a world dominated by interactive networks and the virtual, by reference points for authenticity and transparency. This diagnosis is manifestly wrong. —Gilles Lipovetsky and Jean Serroy, L’esthétisation du monde (2013).
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Intersection articulée. Architecture relationnelle 18, 2011 Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal Triennale québécoise 2011
Debord’s critique of our alienated consumer society, which is caught within the illusion of a life of merchandise and fantasy desires, is useful for understanding the many woes and wrongs that this system engenders. But, I believe it is also a critique that vilifies objects
A passionate lover of the visual arts, René Blouin has been part of the art scene since the 1970’s. As a gallery owner, he is also a big wheel in the “cultural industry.” He hates the expression, but being realistic knows that he is involved
Sculpture creates the issue of where? Responding to it before it is asked. —Michel Serres
How does one create a space without end, without borders, not even a physical extension? Some maps do not represent geographical territories, and yet they help one find one’s way, navigating a system, visualizing possible itineraries and traffic flows. “I map the social and political
Art and cartography have been interwoven for a very long time, perhaps as far back as the very beginnings of cartography. Medieval T and O maps were often richly ornamented, as were the portolan charts that appeared in the 13th century;2 indeed Renaissance artists often