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June 18, 2006
SFMOMA 1: On Architecture, Conceptual Art, & Electronica
Hernán Díaz Alonso, Sangre, 2005–6; digital drawing; courtesy Xefirotarch, © 2005 Xefirotarch
I am grooving to some very bizarre but catchy electronica music (think psychedelic trance.) The underlying, steady bass drives the frantic, random blips of noise. Together, the assorted high and low notes create layered, synthetic landscapes of sound. If these musical topographies were tangible, they would be ever changing, undulating, amorphic shapes of incredible proportions. To imagine a terraine so grand and alien-like, one would have to embark on a full scale acid trip or take the modest route, by visiting the Xefirotarch exhibit at the SFMOMA.
To compare the most obtuse, ominous electronica music to this exhibit is the only way I can describe and comprehend it for myself. I learned that Xefirotarch is an experimental architecture firm that delves in an array of mediums. The museum press release explains them best:
"Since its founding in 2001, Hernán Díaz Alonso's Los Angeles–based architectural firm, Xefirotarch, has attracted critical praise and global attention for its highly imaginative designs. Characterized by biomorphic forms that meld the organic with the supernatural, Xefirotarch's projects reveal cinematic influences — Díaz Alonso initially considered a career as a filmmaker — and an innovative approach to integrating multipurposed spaces. The exhibition includes architectural models, digital animations, and a specially created sculptural installation entitled Sangre (Spanish for “blood”), a dramatic, undulating construction coated in patented Ferrari Red paint.
The grand scale model, entitled "Sangre" looked like a tangled mass of sinew growing in random directions. I loved the organic shape ( 'blobject'--my boyfriend's favorite new word) juxtaposed with the synthetic overlay of red paint. The aesthetics behind Nike Lab immediately came to mind as well as electronica music. After reading the designers' statement, I discovered that this extraordinary object was supposed to be a model of a concert hall! But how logical or appropriate is it? I left the exhibit with conflicting thoughts about conceptual art and its purpose.
To be honest, I had some difficulty seeing conceptual art integrated with architecture. I've always viewed architecture as a functional craft, a craft that stays within its boundaries of usability, no matter how visually extraordinary. Sangre was not functional for human use regardless of its unnerving beauty. So, is it appropriate to consider Xefirotarch an architecture firm when none of their work is inhabitable? Or are they simply fine artists borrowing architectural principles?
At the very least, without starting a monster of a debate, it is safe to assume that conceptual art in any form seduces the imagination and gives us the opportunity to think on a higher level of creativity. Xefirotarch's exhibit is a pleasure to view and an excellent starting point for a debate or essay....whether you love it, hate it or become compelled to listen to some electronica music.
*This is the first entry in an ongoing series about exhibits at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Thank you to the duo at Some Random Dude and The Blog Bit Me for a Museum membership!
Posted by Kellie at June 18, 2006 06:37 AM