Architecture Now: New York, New Publics

New York

February 19–July 29, 2023

The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston presents the first comprehensive survey exhibition of New York-based artist and sculptor Simone Leigh. The exhibit will showcase work from two decades of production, including sculpture, ceramics, video, and installation, as well as works from Leigh’s 2022 Venice Biennale presentation, to be shown for the first time in the United States. See icaboston.org. 

Ongoing Exhibitions

This outdoor exhibition at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art features five 500-square-foot prototypes to spark dialogue about the future of contemporary housing. The participating architecture firms (studioSUMO, LEVENBETTS, MUTUO, PPAA, and studio:indigenous) are based throughout the Americas, but developed their prototypes with consideration of the specific housing needs, challenges, and opportunities of the Northwest Arkansas community. See crystalbridges.com. 

On view at the New Museum is the first survey exhibition of Chicago-based artist and designer Theaster Gates. The 2022 Serpentine Pavilion designer’s interdisciplinary practice includes sculptures of salvaged materials, tar paintings, clay vessels, collaborative performance, preserved historical photos and objects, and architectural installations. Curated by the museum’s artistic director, Massimiliano Gioni, along with Gary Carrion-Murayari, this exhibition is comprised of a selection of Gates’s work that pays homage to the radical thinkers, heroic figures, and more everyday icons that have shaped his home city of Chicago and the country as a whole. See newmuseum.org.

As founder and president of New York-based studio SITE (Sculpture in the Environment), James Wines has designed and built over 150 architecture and environmental art projects across the globe, focusing on green design and commentaries on environmental issues. The Rhona Hoffman Gallery presents a selection of Wines's drawings and works which point to a speculative green architecture including a number of pen-and-ink drawings from the artist's 30-year retrospective in Berlin, as well as more recent work. See rhoffmangallery.com.

On display at the Center for Architecture, this exhibit presents the work of AIA New York’s 2020 competition of the same name. Six practices were selected as representative of new and innovative firms in the city: BRANDT: HAFERD, Byrony Roberts Studio, City-group, GRT Architects, New Affiliates, and ANY. All of them have demonstrated engagement with the city and its citizens. See centerforarchitecture.org. 

Hip-Hop Architecture is a burgeoning design movement led by a loosely organized group of designers who use hip-hop in their approach to the built environment. This exhibit at the Museum of Design Atlanta features a selection of work from a canon that has emerged over the past 25 years, with projects ranging from experimental installations to building designs and urban-development proposals. Curated and designed by architect Sekou Cooke, whose work was included in the 2021 MoMA show Reconstructions: Architecture and Blackness in America, the exhibit presents a collective vision for alternative forms of architectural expression and practice. See museumofdesign.org.

The National Building Museum’s exhibition highlights the stories and approaches of the six winning ideas of its Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge, a nationwide call to action initiated in 2019. Centered on the housing-affordability crisis that is sweeping the country, the $20 million grant competition asked participants, “How can we break barriers to ensure everyone has access to an affordable home where they can live and thrive?” On view are six proposed solutions—two in each of three categories: resident services and support, financing, and construction—which attempt to challenge how the U.S. approaches housing. For more information, see nbm.org.

Since Bolle Tham and Martin Videgård founded their Stockholm-based office in 1999, it has become one of the leading architecture firms in the country, shaping the image of Swedish architecture and winning numerous international awards. ArkDes, Sweden’s national center for architecture and design, presents a retrospective of the firm’s work and impact nationally and abroad, highlighting projects such as the Kalmar Konstmuseum, the Treehotel in Harads, and the KTH School of Architecture in Stockholm, as well as international designs such as the Denfert art center in Paris. See arkdes.se. 

Events

The annual celebration of Modernist design and architecture features more than 350 events in a variety of locations throughout Palm Springs, including home and garden tours, films, and lectures. This year’s keynote presentation will be by Morphosis principal Thom Mayne. See modernismweek.com.

The largest international tile and stone event in the United States, this year’s Coverings conference will feature 800 exhibitors from over 30 countries. Visitors can explore a wide variety of tile and stone displays, as well as participate in industry learning sessions and networking opportunities. See coverings.com. 

Competitions

   In the context of climate change, evolving labor practices, and challenging traditional hegemonies, the Architectural League is looking for proposals that respond to the state of discomfort in their annual competition for young designers. Entrants cannot be current students and must be less than 10 years out of a bachelor’s or master’s degree program. The competition accepts projects in any medium, and can be either conceptual or realized. Winners will receive a cash prize of $2,000. See archleague.org.