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Re-Ruined Hiroshima
Arata Isozaki
June 25 — September 12 2005
The Ruined Annex
As an architect, I have been creating
projects for a half century, facing its ceaseless happenings and observing
this world as a phase of collapse/generation and destruction/construction.
The core of the exhibition consists of an installation entitled ‘Electric
Labyrinth’, in rearranged version, after it was initially made for the 14th
Milan Triennale in 1968 and destroyed upon its completion by demonstrators
during the cultural revolution. This installation is overlapped with another
exhibition entitled ‘Unbuilt’ in 2000 that foresaw huge ‘Iconoclashes’ in
2001.
Exhibited also, are some of my recent works in which I readdress the urban
Utopia of modern art, that was conceived but abandoned in the last century
through the ‘flux’ forms, which are generated based on digitalized process
using computer algorithm.
The title ‘Re-ruined Hiroshima’ comes from the name of the large photo
montage made for ‘Electric Labyrinth’ (1968) which presents the concept of
apocalypse of ceaseless collapse/generation of future cities.
Arata Isozaki
After 30 Years
Arata Isozaki is one of the universal personalities of our time. Not only is he
among the best architects in the World in the recent decades, he is also unique
as a multi-cultural figure with a global scope — at home in Eastern thought as
well as Western philosophy, knowledgeable — as a foundation of his ideas — about
the history of architecture and civilization as well as the state of progress of
the future.
He is an observer, as well as creator, protagonist, visionary, artist. His work
— built and unbuilt — is a basic contribution to our world of today.
Isozaki appeared in the sixties with strong visionary conceptions but also
rather early with built work. He used different mediums of presentation — not in
the traditional way of exhibitions of projects — but the medium was also the
message in its own right.
At the Triennale 68 in Milan his electric Labyrinth was such a statement. This
Triennale was a turning point in the idea of such exhibitions — also Aldo van
Eyck and me had installations instead of objects on pedestals and the “walls”.
It was a new confrontation with the public — as participant. Unfortunately — in
connection with the happenings in 1968 only a few could experience this show.
It is an important action that this installation of Isozaki has been
reconstructed and is shown now in the Moscow exhibition.
It is not only a historical reconstruction — it is still valid today.
That brings one to the exhibition in general. Work of different periods is
presented and establishes its ongoing actuality.
Isozaki’s visionary projects have — for him and for today’s architecture —
continuous impact.
It is interesting to observe how projects like the “City in the Air” of the
early sixties to find now a — transformed — realisation as the Qatar National
Library.
Isozaki can return to early thoughts and bring them to later fruition. The
complexity of his architecture derives from his special way of thinking.
There is continuity in his work — not by repetition, but by constant
transformation.
Like life and death.
His work can brilliantly shine and explode or decay into ruins, rubble. Or start
off with a metaphorical scrap.
It is not a solution to a problem. It is a statement about the state of the
condition of the world today.
Hans Hollein
May 2005
Russian version
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