Star architect Jacques Herzog, the man behind the new Olympic Stadium in Beijing, tells SPIEGEL his arena is a subversive place where people can meet in locations not easily monitored by officials. He also defends his decision to build for a regime criticized for human rights violations. Spiegel
11 Comments
ooh, such a badass! step off, jacques...
"where people can meet in locations not easily monitored by officials"
don't try to justify your working for the chinese as some mission. you did it because the chinese are the only ones that would actually build your sweet little bird's nest.
Thank you, holz. I was going to say, it really doesn't help validate *anyone's* argument to call their critics "idiots".
That said, he makes some good points about working optimistically in the hopes that one can be a part of a long, slow change for the better.
And, that said too...I still don't like the stadium design very much. Too chunky, too excessive. I find it impressive, but not beautiful.
Would y'all have said 'no'?
"on par with the Great Wall of China"
Yeah right Herzog.
we want human rights, not the olympics.
if a person cannot base her or his decision on moral grounds first, then the whole basis of choice is rendered invalid. i am an idiot, if you would like to use the dostoyevskian version of that word.
once i used to love the work of herzog/demeuron, but for the past few years they have been like what mies said: "reinventing architecture every monday morning"...leave this starchitecture worship to the students and the casual readers/followers of this world...
one thing the interview makes clear: this guy is incredibly smart and there is not a position he takes that is not highly considered.
To simplify "the Chinese" to only human-rights violators is juvenile. Even the Chinese Commie government and grass roots oppositions are far more complex than the critics of H&dM or some of the commentators above. I actually bemuse the seemingly haughty comparason to the Great Wall, which , afterall, was centuries of labour work often commissioned by wicked imperial leaders. Did innocent people die during the construction of the infrastructure? Yes. Did the G. Wall do its part strategically for the commoners? Certainly.
At least Herzog didn't plainly said "those people are just jealous."
The human rights in America are close to non-existant at present.
Police state.
"Bend over sir while I search you"
well, I don't think anyone would have anticipated the scale that the Chinese are failing to live up to their promises as the the kickoff for the games is beginning ... nonetheless, he comes off as arrogant and hypocritical throughout this arguement, and at best is ignorant and defensive ... but is much more likely compliant and an extension the regime ... what an assf*^k.
I thought, the interviewer was obvious aiming to be politically critical (seen by the repeat of his argument), Jacques responses were very tongue in cheek saying that the project was more a product of the time, and a project of China in transitition certainly not about HdM.
I love Jacques...he is a bad ass. This project is classic HdM...a bit of social controversy - resolved with a well thought out broad stroke design. I find as an object it is beautiful, I'd love a trinket in the shape of it...but as architecture it remains to be seen.
Also don't forget H&dM's collaboration process with Ai Wei Wei, an artist who has been also among the most critical of the government. Ai, until recently, is still on friendly terms with the two.
The truth is, many critics of H&dM are the hypocrites themselves. They NEVER cared about Chinese democracy in the past, nor did they ever pay positive attention to the development of that country's people and their environment. These critics really just like to sit home and bitch, being ironic and non-constructive. Some of them, time will also reveal, are basically China-bashers who suffer inferiority complex.
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