The Bartlett Show 2012
I was away during ‘show week’ the week when all the architecture schools put on all their degree shows, and missed the openings so on my return we decided to go and see the work on the Saturday after the Friday night before and did the Bartlett and the RCA all in one glorious day.
At the Bartlett in particular, we normally have to fight the masses just to get in let alone having to scoop around big skirts, skinny jeans and blow-dry quiffs just to see the work. This time it was an absolute pleasure to be able to walk around at leisure, stand back and really view the exhibition of it all. Some truly beautiful work as ever, amazing installations, beautifully sculptural models and fascinating intricate drawings.
So, here are my best picks from The Bartlett Show 2012
Unit 21
Unit 21 was the standout unit for me this year, colourful and bright but thoughtful and intricate.
‘Pollution for Light’ by Frankie Chan depicts a future which has us trading pollution for natural light with a large black cloud above our heads. Haunting imagery and beautifully brooding concept.
Berlin Artspark by Mina Gospavic starts with quite a conceptual premise and the images are, at first glance equally beguiling, but on closer inspection I found them engaging and surprisingly understandable as ideas, spaces, architecture even.
Sahar Fikouhi presents an instantly engaging game using augmented reality to great effect. This is only the beginning of what this new technology will offer us in terms of *experiencing* architecture.
Unit 14
Air Futures by Theo Games Petrohilos
Air Futures deals with the quite fascinating idea of air rights over the commercial districts of Manhattan creating an Air Bank trading in air. The quite amazing physical models reminded me of a scene from Akira, a Manga film (which also deals with themes of commerce in the big city) where the films antagonist Tetsuo, suffering from an accident at the beginning of the film leaving him with immense psychic powers, manifests in to a giant fleshy mass engulfing (and eventually destroying) the city.
Unit 9
Unit 9 displayed a stunning moving installation of light
Unit 22
Unit 22 displayed some hypnotic zoetrope models
Unit 23
Unit 10
Finally I wanted to end by highlighting some degree level work which normally doesn’t get featured. This work by Nawan Yudhanahas caught my eye which I thought was quite inventive and sensitive for degree level.
And I loved this model/drawing by Ellie Sampson
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- The Bartlett MArch Graduate Design Show
28 September 2012
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Readers' comments (3)
Not impressed, dystopia, dystopia, dystopia, every year dystopia followed by all too easily done photoshop visuals and some models haphardly thrown up with colour and odd angles to every component to make it look a bit weird. Oh also the cranes, must have the cranes where would we be without them. Not forgetting of course the ridiculous scenario based academic clap trap of what these designs are all supposed to be about, I mean is it really needed, this approach has been done to death now. Constantly reminded here that this stuff is Dean's list prizewinner stuff, but I bet better stuff has been failed in other uni's, but as its the Bartlett anything is seen as good stuff by some it seems.
Certainly I enjoyed and was intrigued by the Bartlett show, but the way in which this particular reporter has creamed himself over how absolutely wonderful everything is enough to put me off.
Valid points raised by both above....I can understand. None of the work was wildly new or pushing boundaries I just really enjoyed the show and was intruiged by some of the drawings and wanted to share that. There's another post on its way from the RCA show, looking forward to hearing what you think of that!