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RECORD's monthly list of upcoming and ongoing exhibitions, events, and competitions. 

Upcoming Exhibitions

This exhibition at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Berlin explores the vast body of work produced by architects and designers in the former Eastern Bloc during the Cold War. Displaying both realized and conceptual spaces imagined by architects and designers from behind the Iron Curtain, the exhibit brings to light work from figures little known in the western world, among them Czech architect Věra Machoninová, designers Sirje Runge and Bruno Tomberg of Estonia, and German architect Lutz Brandt. See smb.museum/en. 

The Vitra Design Museum presents an exhibit designed by Milan-based design studio Formafantasma on the history and future of the modern garden, which argues for horticulture as a potentially radical means of experimentation and incubation. With a broad scope of inquiry that encompasses contemporary community gardens, green facades, and vertical urban farms, the exhibit features work by landscape architects Roberto Burle Marx and Mien Ruys, and artist Derek Jarman. See design-museum.de.

Ongoing Exhibitions

In January, the Harvard Graduate School of Design awarded the 14th Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design to the Grand Paris Express, which is currently the largest transit infrastructure project in Europe. Slated for completion in 2030, the ambitious plan will add 4 more metro lines, 125 miles of new tracks, and 68 new stations to the Paris public transit system, to connect underserved peripheral neighborhoods to the city center. To accompany the award, an exhibition at the Druker Design Gallery is showcasing project models, renderings, documentary and video footage, and other media concerning the winning project. See gsd.harvard.edu. 

 On display at the Estonian Museum of Architecture is an exhibit exploring European architecture during two turbulent decades of the late 20th century. Curated by architectural scholars Andres Kurg and Mari Laanemets of the Estonian Academy of the Arts, the exhibit focuses on utopian designs from the so-called “paper architects.” Responding to the new technological reality of the 1960s-80s, these designers overthrew the Modernist utopias of scientific planning and social engi neering by imagining a new harmony among humans and the machine, nature, and the built environment. The exhibit showcases the work of more than 30 architects and groups, including Yuri Avvakumov, István B. Gellér and Jozef Jankovič, and Archizoom, OHO, and Superstudio. See arhitektuurimuuseum.ee/en/.

This exhibit at the Museum of Architectural Drawing, presented in collaboration with the Fondazione Aldo Rossi in Milan, displays over 110 works by the late Italian architect, many of which are being shown publicly for the first time. The exhibit is divided into three sections, titled Corpus Mediolanensis, Works for Berlin, and Insula. The latter series, from which the exhibition draws its title, is a collection of drawings by Rossi that were inspired by architectural models from antiquity. See tchoban-foundation.de. 

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Two 1987 drawings by Rossi: Sunrise on the Giudecca with the Mondo Theatre 81, Venetian frame (1) and The large construction site of Fukuoka (2). Images © Eredi Aldo Rossi, courtesy Fondazione Aldo Rossi 

Events

The world’s largest furniture fair returns this spring for its 61st year, now scheduled in its usual April slot after three years of Covid-related cancellations and delays. Drawing visitors by the hundred thousands from around the world, the event showcases myriad international furnishings and lighting options. This year’s programming includes a special exhibition curated by architect Mario Cucinella. See salonemilano.it. 

The six-day architecture and design festival returns for its ninth iteration this year with a roster of events, installations, and exhibitions throughout the city of Logroño. Featured are design proposals and concepts that celebrate the public realm and civic life. For more, see concentrico.es/en.

Chicago
An annual fair that has been held in the city since 1969, NeoCon gathers industry professionals to learn about and experience the latest innovations in commercial interior design. This year, nearly 1 million square feet of exhibitions will display over 400 products, from both leading companies and emerging designers. For more, see neocon.com. 

Competitions

This global competition, hosted by the Holcim Foundation, recognizes projects that combine sustainable design and construction with design excellence. Submitted projects will be evaluated using the Foundation’s goals for sustainable construction, and Gold, Silver, and Bronze prizes will be awarded in five geographic regions: Europe, North America, Latin America, Middle East Africa, and Asia Pacific. Winners from each region will receive a cash prize and be invited to the prize announcement at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2023. See holcimfoundation.org.

AIA-St. Louis’s annual photography competition is now open and seeking entries from licensed architects and currently enrolled architecture students. The competition honors excellence in photographic interpretations of the built environment. Winning entries will be published in record and exhibited at the 2023 AIA conference in April. See aia-stlouis.org. 

The competition, presented in part by AIA California, is seeking design proposals for an agricultural center in Allensworth, the first town in the state to be founded, financed, and governed by African-Americans. Emphasizing goals of decarbonization, equity, and resilience, the competition brief invites stu- dents and professionals to design proposals that recognize and advance the site’s aspiration to become a destination for sustainable agriculture and Black history. For more, see architectureatzero.com.