SUPERFRONT LA presents UNPLANNED: Research and Experiments at the Urban Scale

SUPERFRONT invites you to UNPLANNED: Research and Experiments at the Urban Scale, the first SUPERFRONT LA exhibit of 2010.

Just as the discipline of architecture faces a re-imagination of itself in this era of slow-motion global capitalism, the human population finds itself crossing the threshold to a predominantly urban existence. Many of the basic tenets underpinning urban planning - Cartesian geometry, programmatic taxonomy, contextualism - have been subject to skeptical investigation and rebellion in architecture throughout this past decade. Yet conventional urban planning continues, the discipline of urban planning operating much as it has since the 1960s (if not the 1860s). Leveraging an interdisciplinary focus, UNPLANNED: RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTS AT THE URBAN SCALE boldly presents a collection of radical methods for envisioning and producing space at the urban scale.

A group exhibit with more than twenty participants, UNPLANNED spans architecture, urban design, industrial design, conceptual art, and cartography to present an array of experimental work at the urban scale. Multi-disciplinary practitioners address emergent urbanism, "wild building", and other alternatives to conventional urban planning. The exhibit is curated by SUPERFRONT Founder + Director Mitch McEwen with Associate Curator Cecilia Brock and Gallery Intern Jackie Koenig.

Work is exhibited in multiple formats, from physical models to drawings, animations, software applications, consumer products, and live film. Dealing with urban situations from derelict construction sites to refugee camps, favelas, temporary housing and other contemporary spatial phenomena, the exhibition confronts the current economic crises and larger issues of globalization.

Participants include architectural and urbanist collectives ae.i.ou (San Juan), Salottobuono (Venice), and Tomorrow's Thoughts Today (London), as well as Francisca Benitez (New York), Benjamin Cadena (Brooklyn), McLain Clutter (University of Michigan TCAUP), Alex Delaunay (New York/Paris), Johanna Ferrer Guldager and Stine Laurberg Hansen (Copenhagen/ Los Angeles), Dennis Maher (Buffalo), curator Mitch McEwen (SUPERFRONT), Nathalie Frankowski and Cruz García of WAI Think Tank (France/China), Riitta Oittinen (Helsinki), Hyeri Park (Seoul/Delft), Dubravka Sekuli? (Belgrade/Maastricht), Alvaro Urbano (Madrid/Berlin), architects AGENCY (New York), Paul Schuette (Los Angeles ), Nina Ilieva (Sofia/Los Angeles), John Briscella (Philadelphia), ZellnerPlus (Los Angeles), Darien Williams with INABA (Los Angeles), an advanced architecture studio at Columbia GSAPP taught by Mabel Wilson, and a student workshop from the Southern California Institute of Architecture directed by Michael Pinto of Project Food / LA (Los Angeles).

UNPLANNED opens with a reception on March 25th, 5pm - 8pm.
On view through July 2nd, 2010.
Regular gallery hours are Mon-Fri 1-5pm.

For more information:
http://losangeles.superfront.org/2010/01/unplanned-research-experiments-at-the-urban-scale/

MICHAEL PINTO
Michael Pinto's efforts through SCI-Arc's Community Design Program and Project Food LA to investigate urban food infrastructure have led to speculative plans for a new working farm in Watts. These plans will be on display in UNPLANNED: Research and Experiments at the Urban Scale, opening March 25 at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. The show is hosted by SUPERFRONT LA and closes July 2. This interdisciplinary exhibition features over 20 multidisciplinary practitioners addressing emergent urbanism in original ways. As stated by its organizers, "UNPLANNED boldly presents a collection of radical methods for envisioning and producing space at the urban scale." SUPERFRONT LA is an offshoot of Brooklyn-based SUPERFRONT, a gallery and project space promoting experiments in architecture.

About Osborn
Throughout its 20-year history, Osborn has sought clients and projects that emphasize change as an essential element of community development. Based in the greater Los Angeles area, the firm, which offers architecture, landscape and graphic design services, as well as construction management, has been privileged to work with many groups at the forefront of their industries in promoting progressive solutions to traditional challenges. These relationships have fostered a design process that lets pragmatic criteria illuminate opportunity and paths to innovation. Among its achievements, in the last five years Osborn has won 10 local and state American Institute of Architecture (AIA) awards with a portfolio that includes residences, schools, civic centers, parks, libraries, and non-profit sector projects. For more information, visit: www.osborn320.com

Osborn
320 East Harvard Street
Glendale, California 91205
Tel: (818) 246-3112
www.osborn320.com

Contact: Rebecca Epstein
Director of Communications
(818) 246-3112

Last Updated: March 25, 2010