The Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei collaboration – the 12th pavilion – breaks the mould of the sequence so far as the criterion for the commission had been for an architect not to have built in England. But Herzog & de Meuron are also deeply engaged in the art world, having built the Walker Art Centre in Minneapolis and the de Young Museum in San Francisco. They are currently working on art museums in New York, Miami and Kolkata. — ft.com
10 Comments
Brilliant conceptual move. Now, how is Serpentine will sell this to a highest bidding collector to be hauled to another property? It opens beautiful questions and ways to critique the Serpentine Pavilion shows.
I like it for similar reasons I like Michael Asher's work at Santa Monica Museum of Art few years ago.
Bernard Tshumi's work at Athens Acropolis Museum is more visually similar but very different for it has nothing to do with this type of critiquing below;
" SMMoA has no permanent collection, so its institutional history can only be understood by looking through documents and catalogs. The exhibition's labyrinth of metal and wooden studs, which conformed to the original wall constructions, revealed how the noncollecting Museum—a kunsthalle—reinvents itself with each new exhibition. Asher's installation translated the historical infrastructure and museological process into visual form, highlighting what would otherwise remain seamlessly hidden. The skeletal frameworks illuminated what art historian Miwon Kwon describes as ''the temporariness of the architecture of temporary exhibitions.'' With this work at SMMoA, Asher continued his artistic practice of institutional critique—uncovering the ways in which museums and galleries display and interpret art."
I think this aspect of the Serpentine Pavilion show this year will dominate the subsequent reviews and critics' views. Well, at least for yours truly.
Could be good:
"The description of the design enigmatically describes an excavation of the site to reveal the foundations of former pavilions, the dense network of cabling and pipes which run beneath the city surface"
Have any of the previous Serpentine pavilions (pavilia ?) been re-erected elsewhere ? I haven't been keeping up . . .
SDR, I was going with this.
"Built each year as a temporary adjunct to the small Serpentine Gallery (a former tea house) the pavilions are subsequently sold off to the highest bidder, largely funding their construction."
Maybe they have an agreement that once they are re-erected or sold off, the owner can never publish their picture or fate. I wonder if anybody has a more clear information as to what really happens? I remember seeing something by Gehry's son recently with lumber resembled their installation couple of years ago but I can't really locate the information..
guns! also, quite the spread on this pic...
also, the gehry pavilion ended up at chateau la coste
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sgparry/6197089929/
it's a bit sad without its original setting and purpose, no?
that's a great point orhan. the conceptual logic will disappear once its moved and reassembled. probably still look nice though.
being on a chateau site isn't that much different from its original location, is it? i don't know the gehry pavilion's current purpose: maybe it's used similarly? or for events or something?
wasn't the ito pavilion relocated and opened for something new?
Steve i remember seeing something about that, according to Wikipedia it is "now part of a restaurant in southern France."
First images of the 2012 pavilion have just been released.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.