Time, Space and Existence. No architect embodies these ideas with greater aplomb than Daniel Libeskind. Working in the spaces of memory, his buildings sketch out disjunctures in the timeline. We’re delighted to announce a new Daniel Libeskind project in preparation for the ECC’s Time-Space-Existence exhibition at Palazzo Mora, Palazzo Bembo, and Giardini Marinaressa during the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennial.
In anticipation of this new work, the latest Time-Space-Existence video features the seminal architect. A new architectural sculpture, Facing Gaia, will be located in the 1,600 sq. meter Giardini Marinaressa, adjacent to the Giardini. Reminiscent of ancient forms, the project explores the connections between climate, time, space and existence through architectural thinking.
Its center is a sheet of convex mirror, bound to its steel structure with pioneering GRIP Metal™ technology. This reflective surface marks the tension between the finite and the infinite. The title is derived from the concept that Gaia (the living Earth) is at a moment of crisis, in which resources are running out.
“The Biennale is an important opportunity to explore meaning and metaphor in architectural space and form,” said architect Daniel Libeskind. “This moment in time, the very idea of human existence is in question. What is the future of technology? Nature? Humanity? Facing Gaia focuses on the tension of these relationships while inviting open-ended questions and interaction,” he added.
The project announcement is also accompanied by a video, forming part of the Time-Space-Existence video series produced by PLANE—SITE. It offers insight into Libeskind’s body of work and his philosophical understanding of time — ideas that manifest in this new work to be unveiled at Venice. He also discusses the power of drawing and his work on the memorial at Ground Zero. This project was made possible thanks to the GAA Foundation, the European Cultural Centre, and GRIP Metal.
Born in Lód’z, Poland, in 1946, Daniel Libeskind immigrated to the United States as a teenager. Studio Libeskind was founded in 1989 after winning an international competition to build the Jewish Museum in Berlin. A series of influential museum commissions followed, including the Felix Nussbaum Haus, Osnabrück; Imperial War Museum North, Manchester; Denver Art Museum; Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco; Danish Jewish Museum; Royal Ontario Museum; and the Military History Museum, Dresden. Studio Libeskind was also responsible for the master plan for the rebuilding of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. Libeskind is based in New York. This interview series has been made possible with the support of the European Cultural Centre.
About the GAA Foundation
The GAA Foundation is a Dutch non-profit organization aiming to increase awareness of the theory and philosophies that shape contemporary art, architecture, and culture. Through exhibitions, symposia, books and more, the GAA Foundation makes ideas accessible to an international audience. In this spirit, all exhibitions and events are free of charge.
About the European Cultural Centre
The European Cultural Centre (ECC)is an organization fostering research, design and interdisciplinary encounters. It encourages artistic and creative activities and facilitates processes of exchange at all levels: visual art, dance, theatre, music, literature and architecture. The ECC is based at Palazzo Mora in the historical center of Venice.
About Grip Metal
GRIP Metal™ is a lightweight, flexible and strong mechanical bond technology capable of binding diverse materials — including wood, concrete, metal and polymer composites. GRIP Metal™ is based on a patented technology for the mass production of consistent small-scale metal hooks that are distributed either on one side or both sides of thin gauge metallic sheets.
About PLANE—SITE
PLANE—SITE is a global agency working at the interface of urban form, cultural space, and social life. We believe that sharing compelling stories about the built environment can inspire communities to innovate and progress. Cutting through the noise with original multimedia content and meaningful narratives, we help our clients to become their own intellectual agents.