For the Swiss National Expo in 2002, architects Diller, Scofidio, and Renfro created Blur Building, an inhabitable cloud comprised of a lightweight tensegrity structure and mist created from filtered lake water. The architects call Blur Building an "anti-spectacle." The building has no edges or form; you know you've entered it when you can't see it anymore.
Like most of Diller, Scofidio, and Renfro's work, Blur Building floats comfortably in the space between art and architecture. Its title is as much about its phenomenological qualities as its medium. The distinction between building and sculpture is as ambiguous as Blur Building's edges.
The number of contemporary artists and architects interested in exploring this fuzzy zone is rapidly increasing. Two of the four professional architects who have lectured at KU this semester, Lars Spuybroek and J. Meejin Yoon, have stepped out of the confines of building design to create interactive and spatial installations.
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| NOX Architecture |
A display of books at the Hatch Reading Room highlights the work of artists and architects who work in the space between art and architecture. Here are a few:
Gordon Matta-Clark and Banksy impose their work onto existing environments.
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| Gordon Matta-Clark |
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| Banksy |
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| Olafur Elaisson |
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| Anish Kapoor |
Richard Serra and Maya Lin create powerful and transcendent minimalist sculptures and environments.
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| Richard Serra |
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| Maya Lin |
Atelier Van Lieshout works in every medium imaginable, making drawings, environments, sculptures, and furniture which imagine a surreal (and sometimes disturbing) utopia.
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| Atelier Van Lieshout |
These cross-disciplinary artists and designers have produced some pretty nice books, too. Come to the Hatch and have a look!
