Rubik's cube: three architects reflect on their work at the Chamber gallery

New York based gallery Chamber has just unveiled its latest instalment of its yearlong residency by photographer and filmmaker Andrew Zuckerman. Since the art space – which describes itself as a ‘21st century cabinet of curiosities’ - launched in 2014, Chamber has been calling on a selection of creative talents to curate their own yearlong exhibition there (previous curators include Dutch design duo Studio Job).
2016’s first exhibition, titled Capsule #4: Unpacking the Cube, has just opened, featuring a selection of works by architecture studios Leong Leong, Levenbetts and Steven Holl.
Zuckerman approached the three practices at different moments of their professional paths, requesting each firm to abstractly encapsulate their philosophy within the simple form of a cube. Each of the architects had to distil their fundamental values as a firm, touching on broad themes of social values, spatial considerations, conceptual development and experimentation.
Chris and Dominic Leong, of Leong Leong, explore ideas of architecture and collectivism, executing a series called Toolkit for a newer age, which features nine objects constructed from Pink Himalayan salt.
Levenbetts’ Not to scale series approaches strategies of aggregation, exploring the mentality of ‘utter scalability’. They aim through their work to play with the idea of scale through different landscapes, housing structures and home furnishings, such as seating arrangements and shelving.
Steven Holl’s selection (titled Ex of In or Explorations of In) was seen through the lens of the firm's think tank. The objects are executed in an array of materials, such as concrete aluminium, walnut wood and 3d printed matter, exploring their vast possibilities in architecture.
The trio’s themes and physical proposals may be extremely broad and varied, but thanks to the use of the ‘cube’ as the common thread that binds them together, they sit side-by-side in harmony, instigating useful dialogue about space and form, small and large, man and architecture.
The exhibition, entitled ‘Unpacking the Cube’, features a collection of work by architecture studios Leong Leong, Levenbetts and Steven Holl. Zuckerman approached the three practices with the request to encapsulate their philosophy within the simple form of a cube. Here, pictured work by Leong Leong.
Chris and Dominic Leong, of Leong Leong, explore ideas of architecture and collectivism through their collection of objects titled 'toolkit for a new age'
Leong Leong's 9 pieces are constructed from a pink Himalayan salt, with each object having a defined functionality
Levenbetts’ ‘not to scale’ series approaches strategies of aggregation, exploring in depth the mentality of ‘utter scalability’
The aim of the collection is to challenge the viewers' perception of scale within architecture
Steven Holl’s series, titled ‘Ex of In’ or ‘Explorations of In’, was created by the firm's think tank
The objects are executed in an array of materials, including concrete, aluminium, walnut wood and 3d printed matter
INFORMATION
’Unpacking the Cube’ is on view until the 5th March 2016. For more information on the exhibition, visit Chamber’s website
ADDRESS
Chamber Gallery
515 W. 23RD Street
NY, NY 10011
USA
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