MICROBIAL FRUITS of ISTANBUL
Biennial #empathyrevisited
129 · MICROBIAL FRUITS of istanbul New rituals in civics to revisit empathy ABSTRACT5th Istanbul Design Biennial, Istanbul Microbial Fruits of Istanbul is a platform that narrates the complex histories of Istanbul’s community gardens (called bostans) from the microbes’ point of view. This is a garden of gardens, a cross between a soil microbiology laboratory and a fruit tree showcasing microbial cultures collected in this historic gardens for more than 1500 years. Drawing its inspiration from the kiosks scattered around the streets of Istanbul, the MFoI platform stands in the middle of Özgürlük Park like a strange figure piquing the curiosity of passers-by, inviting them to meet these other “neighbors” in the city. MFoI is a meeting-place for humans and microbes, a nexus between History and bio-geo-histories; between the Istanbul molded by generations of its human inhabitants and the other, parallel Istanbuls that exist under our feet, in the soil, and that (as Isabelle Stengers put it) are the “product of a history of co-evolution whose first craftsmen and true authors throughout were the innumerable populations of microorganisms.” When the kiosk opens, unfolding its roof, a chatty robotic parrot tells stories in the form of fables written for […]
Read More ›
WIRES, BLACK BOXES, URBAN FETISHES
Exhibition #invisible
123 · WIREs, BLACK BOXES AND URBAN fetiShes 'The palace as seen by elii', Centro Centro, Madrid ABSTRACTCuratorship and display design for the exhibition ‘Wires, black boxes and urban fetishes’, CentroCentro, Madrid Since its foundation as a Communications Palace a hundred years ago, Cibeles Palace has served as the setting for many different lives and has often been the focus of gazes. This series of exhibitions, El Palacio visto por... (The Palace as Seen by...) arises from that idea of gazing, of reading from different points of view. Every year, we invite different artists and architects to create an exhibition that includes an informative tour through the archives and history of the building, and to propose a personal reading of the palace. The architecture office elii has participated in this edition of El Palacio visto por... After studying the tender and construction documents for the Palace of Communications, elii has been able to confirm the disappearance, during the building process, of a fundamental element: the wires that were drawn on the plans that architects Antonio Palacios and Joaquín Otamendi submitted for the tender in 1904; a network of cables that started from the central tower of the Palace and […]
Read More ›
CYBORG GARDEN / IMNA
exhibition #cyborggarden
119 · jardín cyborg / imna Strategies for adapting to climate change ABSTRACTCuratorship and display design for the exhibition ‘Cyborg Garden – Mutant Institute of Environmental Narratives’, Matadero Madrid “Your attention please. You are now entering the Mutant Institute of Environmental Narratives. A platform for generating knowledge and artworks as a means to address the challenges presented by the climate crisis in the 21st century. A place for communicating with other species, for learning from ants and many-headed slime mould and for talking with humans who have not as yet been born. We invite you, firstly, to a preview of the prototypes of the future Cyborg Garden now being developed by a team of artists, designers, architects, scientists and specialists in various fields and which will soon be planted in Matadero Madrid. After that, you will be able to visit the exhibition Eco-visionaries. Art for a Planet in a State of Emergency, in which over 40 creators tackle climate change through art. We also encourage you to take part in the various activities that will be held in this mutant space over the coming four months. Welcome.” - The exhibition ‘Cyborg Garden – Mutant Institute of Environmental Narratives’ shows […]
Read More ›
ECOVISIONARIES
Exhibition #ecovisionaries
118 · ECOVISIONARIES 'Art for a planet in emergency', Matadero Madrid ABSTRACT * Ecovisionaries, exhibition design for the 'ECO-VISIONARIES: Art for a planet in emergency' exhibition at the Matadero Madrid. Shortlisted - FAD Award, Category - Interior Design (2020). Exhibition design for the 'ECO-VISIONARIES: Art for a planet in emergency' exhibition at the Matadero Madrid ECO-VISIONARIES brings together the work of more than forty artists and architects who reflect on the urgency of the environmental crisis the planet is experiencing. Curated by Pedro Gadanho and Mariana Pestana, this is a living exhibition that is updated at each location by adding the works of new artists to the exhibition. On this occasion, it will be featured at the Matadero, Madrid's centre for contemporary creation, under the subtitle 'Art for a planet in emergency', along with an exhibition called 'Jardín Cyborg - Instituto Mutante de Narrativas Ambientales' (Cyborg Garden - Mutant Institute of Environmental Narratives’). Together, both exhibitions feature am ensemble of works by contemporary artists that address climate change as a crucial challenge of our time. As regards the expository conceptualization for Matadero Madrid, the project is based on the use of the remains found in Hall 16: ECO-VISIONARIES unfolds […]
Read More ›