Columbia GSAPP show explores Arakawa and Madeline Gins’ architectural study into living forever
![Arakawa and Gins at Columbia GSAPP](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/njxcnBVqrVycykgDQR4qoh-415-80.jpg)
A new show at Columbia GSAPP presents Arakawa and Madeline Gins' theoretical explorations into how architecture can help people avoid death. Pictured here, two version of Arakawa and Gins' Screen-Valve (1985-87) project.
Architecture is an undeniable force for change. Aesthetic, social, logistical, and sensory transformation are just a few areas where architecture can make a difference – but can it help us conquer death? This has been a central premise in the work of creative duo Arakawa and Madeline Gins, whose inspirational work is presented in a new show at Columbia GSAPP in New York.
Japanese artist Arakawa (1936-2010) and American poet, writer and philosopher Madeline Gins (1941-2014) joined forces in the early 1960s. Their collaboration spanned five decades and various disciplines and mediums, such as painting, installations, poetry, literature, architecture, urbanism, philosophy, and scientific research. And while their work remains largely unknown outside the academic and specialist architecture community, their investigations are compelling and inspiring – not to mention beautifully illustrated with powerful artwork and technical drawings.
Screen-Valve (1985-87) by Arakawa and Madeline Gins. Image: 2018 Estate of Madeline Gins. Reproduced with permission of the Estate of Madeline Gins
Together, Arakawa and Gins delved into the concept of ‘reversible destiny’, a body of work about how architecture can empower humans to ‘resist their own deaths’. As ambitious – or utopian – as this project may seem, Gins was keen to study how through the right architecture, people could ‘learn not die’, working on the impact that spatial experience has on its users’ wellbeing and longevity– a concept not far removed from current notions of wellness in architecture.
The duo even created ‘sites of reversible destiny’, to experiment with the architectural manifestations of their theoretical work. Examples include Ubiquitous Site-Nagi’s Ryoanji (1994, Okayama, Japan); Yoro Park (1995, Gifu, Japan); Reversible Destiny Lofts Mitaka (2005, Tokyo, Japan); and Bioscleave House (2008, East Hampton, New York).
The exhibition, ‘Arakawa and Madeline Gins: Eternal Gradient’, charts the pair’s research and reflections, organised by GSAPP director of exhibitions Irene Sunwoo and assistant director of exhibitions Tiffany Lambert, and designed by Norman Kelley.
From hand drawings and architectural models, to archival material (such as ephemera, research materials, poetry, manuscripts, photographs and slides) from the Estate of Madeline Gins and the Reversible Destiny Foundation; this show offers a wealth of thought-provoking information and rich original artwork for the discerning visitor to enjoy – and be inspired by, in their quest for living better lives.
Study for ‘Critical Holder’ (1990) by Arakawa and Madeline Gins. Image: 2018 Estate of Madeline Gins. Reproduced with permission of the Estate of Madeline Gins
Installation view of ‘Arakawa and Madeline Gins: Eternal Gradient’ at the Arthur Ross Architecture Gallery, Columbia GSAPP. Courtesy of the Columbia GSAPP
Perspectival view showing entrance to ‘Bridge of Reversible Destiny’ (1989) by Arakawa and Gins. Image: 2018 Estate of Madeline Gins. Reproduced with permission of the Estate of Madeline Gins
Installation view showing the drawings and models of Arakawa and Madeline Gins. Courtesy of the Columbia GSAPP
Drawing for ‘Container of Perceiving’ (1984) by Arakawa and Gins. Image: 2018 Estate of Madeline Gins. Reproduced with permission of the Estate of Madeline Gins
Installation view of photographs Courtesy of the Columbia GSAPP
INFORMATION
’Arakawa and Madeline Gins: Eternal Gradient’ is on show at the Arthur Ross Architecture Gallery, Columbia GSAPP until the 16 June 2018. For more information visit the Columbia GSAPP website
ADDRESS
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Arthur Ross Architecture Gallery, Columbia GSAPP
1172 Amsterdam Avenue
New York City
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Birley Chocolate hits the sweet ’n’ chic spot in London’s Chelsea
The new Birley Chocolate shop, a sibling to Birley Bakery, is a confection of colour as delicious as its finely crafted goods
By Melina Keays Published
-
Feel at home at Auberge, Château La Coste's new inn for culture lovers
Auberge La Coste sits at the heart of the art-filled estate, minutes away from the joyful town of Aix-en-Provence
By Harriet Thorpe Published
-
This Nova Lima apartment is a Brazilian family oasis with striking Minas Gerais views
A Nova Lima apartment designed by Jacobsen Arquitetura celebrates its long, natural Minas Gerais vistas
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
IM Pei's Everson Museum of Art gets a modern makeover
The East Wing of the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, NY has been given a contemporary refresh by emerging Los Angeles studio MILLIØNS
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Black Modernism’s lesser-known, at-risk architecture gems gain a lifeline
Conserving Black Modernism announces vital funding to save and preserve overlooked and endangered buildings by African American architects and designers
By Bridget Downing Published
-
Step into the Blanton Museum of Art's reimagined public realm by Snøhetta in Austin
Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas is completed and reveals its reimagined public realm and plaza designed by Snøhetta
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
This New York Townhouse renovation is a lesson in contemporary minimalism
TenBerke’s carefully considered New York townhouse is the reimagining of a century-old Manhattan structure that reframes vertical living
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Visit The Frost House, a lesser-known modernist architecture marvel in Michigan City
The Frost House is a lesser-known midcentury architecture gem in Michigan City, Indiana; we took the tour as the property goes on the market
By Audrey Henderson Published
-
Broadway designer Scott Pask’s Arizona retreat is a scene-stealing discovery
Scott Pask invites us inside his Arizona retreat, nestled in the foothills overlooking Tucson – a place to reboot, recharge and commune with nature
By Michael Webb Published
-
Upstate New York retreat Ridge House evokes land art
Ridge House in upstate New York, the work of Brooklyn-based studio Worrell Yeung, is at one with the surrounding countryside
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Rafael de Cárdenas’ first ground-up project is a forever home with waterfront views and hidden treasures
Rafael de Cárdenas reveals his latest completed project in the Pacific Northwest, a family home of calming spaces that bleed the outside in, and ten years in the making
By Ellie Stathaki Published