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New media crackdown in Russia forces censorship of open letter signed by country's architects and urban planners

2022-03-04T20:43:00-05:00

The open letter by architecture magazine Project Russia, which included over 6,500 signatures of Russian architects and urban planners opposing military strikes in Ukraine, has been removed and replaced.

The original text from their open letter, which can be found in Archinect's previous coverage, is now replaced with the image of Picasso's "Dove of Peace" and the following statement:

Here was a letter on behalf of the architects and urban planners of Russia, expressing their position on the current policy of our country from February 26, when it was published, until March 4, 2022, more than 6,500 people signed it.

Unfortunately, under the threat of criminal liability under the law that came into force today, we were forced to remove the text of the letter. We are for peace!

The magazine's now erased statement was a bold expression of revolt against Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Posts from the magazine's Instagram and Facebook as well as the use of the "Нет войне!" (No war!) graphi...

Over 6,700 Russian architects and urban planners pen open letter decrying their country's war with Ukraine

2022-03-03T13:56:00-05:00

UPDATE, March 4th, 2022: New media crackdown in Russia forces censorship of open letter signed by country's architects and urban planners

A new missive in the architectural community’s fight against the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been launched as this time, a group from inside the Federation has issued its own statement condemning the Kremlin for its purblind and illegal attempt at prosecuting a war.

The group published the letter in a magazine called Project Russia and boasts more than 6,790 signatories who collectively expressed frustration with their government’s “unacceptable” actions.

The letter was originally published on February 24th. The full text of the web-translated statement reads as follows:

An open letter from architects and urban planners of Russia against military operations in Ukraine

We, the architects and urban planners of Russia, consider the offensive of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine unacceptable. Foreign policy issues must be resolved exclusi...

From The Vessel to gallery accessibility, the art world continues to reinforce ableism

2019-08-07T16:14:00-04:00

In 2019, inclusive spaces that are comprised of voices from the neurodiverse and disabled community are still extremely rare. Despite the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 29 years ago, neurodiverse and disabled communities continue to face collective discrimination from failures to accommodate in access, transportation, employment, education, and many other arenas. Unfortunately, the art world is no exception.

Emily Sara, a disabled, interdisciplinary artist and designer, penned an open letter calling on the art world for stronger support of the neurodiverse and disabled communities, whose everyday needs are often overlooked in American society. She names a few examples of how the art world inadvertently reinforces ableism, such as the controversial Vessel, the accessibility of several New York galleries, and the lackluster representation of disabled artists in exhibitions.

“Regarding the art world, navigating and addressing these issues will require taking fundamental steps toward inclusion, from implementing practical solutions to increasing awareness among art institutions and community members,” Emily Sara writes in her letter. “I am therefore calling on galleries, curators, museums, institutions of higher education, artists, and other art institutions: welcoming the neurodiverse and disabled is long overdue.”

Frank Lloyd Wright puts his foot down in 'a tribute to the pluck of a salesman'

2016-08-18T12:56:00-04:00

Thomas H. Truslow Jr., a general sales manager at Corning Glass Works, proposed a solution of flexible waterproof strips directly to Johnson executives, bypassing Wright. The architect seethed. “Are you then unfamiliar with the way of work with an architect,” he wrote in a typed letter on Nov. 10, 1948. He added an angry question mark in green ink. “The scheme is not the Johnson Company’s,” the typing continued. “It is the architect’s.”

The full, typed letter reads (with handwritten text in bold):

My dear Mr. Truslow: You have the cart before the horse. It is necessary to secure the architect's approval before going to the owner. Are you then unfamiliar with the way of work with an architect - ?

The scheme is not the Johnson's Company's. It is the architect's. Mine.

I shall be in New York at the Plaza Hotel on November 17th.

Sincerely yours,

Frank Lloyd Wright