CURATOR: GLEB SOBOLEV
DESIGN: STUDIO DA (GEORGIA HABLUTZEL, PIERRE d’AVOINE, RYAN MCSTAY)
MAKING: JAMES O’BRIEN, JOSEPH VAN DER STEEN, DAVID DIAZ BUSTAMENTE AND STUDENTS FROM INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE, THE BRITISH HIGHER SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN, MOSCOW
FRANZISKA DEDERER
NINA MATVEENKO
ALENA BULGAKOVA
YULIA OSINA
ILONA AGAZHANOVA
KSENIA ROMANOVA
KRISTINA MIKRYUKOVA
PRODUCTION: PANOPUS PRINTING PRS LTD, LONDON
OPENING ON THE 3RD MARCH 2017, EXTREMES WAS EXHIBITED AT THE DOSTOYEVSKY LIBRARY AND CURATED BY GLEB SOBOLEV. THE OPENING INCLUDED A LECTURE BY PIERRE D’AVOINE, WHO PRESENTED THE EXHIBITED PROJECTS IN FURTHER DETAIL. EXTREMES ENGAGES WITH DIF- FERENT HOUSING TYPES AND CREATES COMPARISONS BETWEEN CITY AND SUBURBAN PROJECTS FOR LUXURY AND LOW COST HOUSING. THE EXHIBITION WAS CONSTRUCTED OUT OF TIMBER BATTENS, ANGLE BRACKETS AND FLUORESCENT TUBES FORMING TWO LIGHT BOX FRAMES ONTO WHICH THE EXHIBITION PRINTS WERE MOUNTED. THE INSTALLATION INCLUDED ‘ACCOMMODATION’ FOR A ROUGH SLEEPER. EXTREMES WAS CONCEIVED WITH THE INTENTION THAT IT COULD BE DISMANTLED AND REBUILT IN DIFFERENT VENUES AROUND THE WORLD.
DWELLING IN THE FUTURE: THE SEASIDE, MIDDLE ENGLAND AND THE METROPOLIS IS THE TITLE OF A BOOK WHICH PIERRE d’AVOINE (STUDIO DA) IS CURRENTLY WRITING. IT INCLUDES TEN PROJECTS FOR HOUSING IN THE UK DESIGNED BY STUDIO DA AND COLLABORATORS SINCE THE START OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM. EXTREMES FOCUSES ON PROPOSALS FOR MORE THAN JUST HOUSING AND ASKS HOW DOES THE ARCHITECT RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGE OF PROVIDING HUMANE PLACES IN WHICH TO LIVE FOR A GROWING, MULTIFARIOUS POPULATION IN AN INCREAS- INGLY DIVIDED WORLD – THE PARADOX OF GLOBALIZATION. PEOPLE – INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, SOCIETIES CAN AND DO HAVE WIDELY DIFFERENT GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS. IS IT POSSIBLE TO PLAN FOR AND REALIZE A WORLD IN WHICH A DECENT LEVEL OF COMFORT AND STABILITY IS AVAIL- ABLE FOR EVEN THE POOREST MEMBERS OF SOCIETIES? EXTREMES INCLUDES A RANGE OF WORK BY STUDIO DA, INCLUDING PROPOSALS FOR LUXURY HOUSING AND DESIGNS FOR LOW COST DWELLINGS, WHICH ADDRESSES THE NEEDS AND DESIRES OF POTENTIAL INHABITANTS. WE ARE INTERESTED IN AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH TO THE DESIGN OF SETTLEMENTS THAT RECOGNIZES AND CELEBRATES DIFFERENCE – AN APPROACH THAT DEMANDS A FRESH POLITICAL VISION TO RESOLVE HUMANITY’S INCREASING INEQUALITY FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL IN THE HOPE THAT EVERYONE MAY BE TAKEN INTO THE FUTURE.*
*WITH REFERENCE TO THE KABAKOVS’ ARTWORK ‘NOT EVERYONE CAN BE TAKEN INTO THE FUTURE.’
EXHIBITED PROJECTS:
PENCIL TOWER
KANYE MAUSOLEUM
PLEASURE HOLM AT BIRNBECK ISLAND INVISIBLE HOUSE
HOUSE GARDEN HOUSE
WITH THANKS TO THE DOSTOYEVSKY LIBRARY