Libeskind è un abile affabulatore. Capace come pochi di assemblare stereotipi e simboli dandogli una forma accattivante. Libeskind è anche l’autore del nuovo progetto di ground zero a NY e dello storto il grattacielo a banana, scusate dalla curvatura ispirata da Leonardo comelui la definisce, nella ex zona fiera.
All’insaputa di molti ( troppi ?) pochi giorni fa ha presentato il nuovo Museo d’arte contemporanea di MIlano che si troverà all’interno di Speculandia nella zona ex-fiera.
Oltre alle osservazioni fatte da DOMUS ci sono un paio di quesiti che affiorano:
mr. Libeskind con il suo studio internazionale a NY,Milano, e chissà dove quanto ha veramente capito il genius loci di Milano? Perchè lui e i suoi amici StarArchitechts e i politici e gli speculatori che ci sono dietro non vogliono capire che Milano non è New York, nè Dubai, nè Tokyo?  Perchè essere sempre così servili verso il potere?
Mi permetto, senza pemesso di riportare l’articolo della DOMUS:

Uno scroscio di applausi chiude l’emozionata presentazione di Daniel Libeskind in Triennale: il suo nuovo museo di arte contemporanea di Milano sarà la calamita del nuovo quartiere residenziale “motore dello sviluppo economico” che sostituirà lo storico polo fieristico della capitale morale.

Non è più tollerabile una politica architettonica e urbanistica basata sul fatto compiuto e comunque è difficile credere che possa fare da “polo di attrazione”, per attirare migliaia di visitatori, un volume tozzo la cui unica attrattiva da una base quadrata, genera un’immane terrazza tonda; piazzato come un triste mausoleo al centro di una cittadella chiusa da un muraglione di condomini, alto quasi 100 metri, su cui svettano le torri ingobbite di Hadid e Isozaki. Vengono alla mente le parole di Herbert Muschamp, compianto critico d’architettura del New York Times, fustigatore della gratuità di certa architettura contemporanea, che a proposito dell’obelisco Libeskind ficcato su Ground Zero scrisse: “Sorprendentemente privo di gusto, emotivamente manipolatorio, prossimo alla nostalgia e al kitsch”. DOMUS

Ping Mag online magazine published an article on construction fences featuring some works of Studio Han Design.

地下鉄　chikatetsu is the japanese word for underground metro train (with 3 ideograms: ground, under, iron).
Tokyo structure and layout is often influenced by it. Last week I saw the advertisement of a new mansion that had as a plus the fact of being 1 minute away from the metro station.
Japanese try to have their house and their job on the same metro line. For this reason magazines order flat rental opportunities based on metrolines. One can check all the flat available on the Odakyu line or the inokashira line…
If these seems rather dull and unexciting take a look at Joe Nishizawa’s pictures and probably  they will look quite close to an image of a futuristic Tokyo .

In Frankfurt an exhibition with many invited artists exploring one of the favorite activities of the letzte Mensch.

A few weeks ago I mentioned Ikeda as an interesting artist.
Soon there will be his first solo exhibition which I am looking forward to visit.
If you are into radical sound experiments, math and hamburgers this should be for you.

I suppose everyone heard at least once shamisen a traditional japanese instrument.
The sounds makes foreigner immediately think about zen, japan, temple, silence, sushi, asia, meditation and other cliche.
If you want a different feeling check the Yoshida Brothers

This week I decide to take a break from Japanese people and suggest finally an Italian amazing trobone player.
A few reason why you should take a look:
-he is playing with the maestro Enrico Rava
-in his own album he is playing an interesting contemporary jazz, with electronic, dissonances…
- you might want to get to know some italian which are neither dead nor over 60 years old
-you might start giving trombone a better consideration

web site

 ”Space for your future” I was expecting an exhibition somehow similar to the Wired Magazine issue co-edited by OMA/AMO in which 20 new spaces were proposed.
The exhibition presents different works dealing with space (even if I did not understand why some where there).
The curator idea is not clearly explain, at least not in english. Therefore the risk is to turn the museum into a funfair for adults with a university degree. In some moments I did have this feeling.
I would recommend to people not too much into art/architecture, many works are really well known.
My conclusion:
-Ishigami Junya will be the next big thing of japanese architecture because he is good (even should develop more his own approach, to much SANAA)  and because it seems  he is the protegé of Sejima. (just personal opinion)

-video art needs to much time to be seen, maybe only 5% watch a 3min video so it should be communicated in a different way
-the work of Carsten Nicolai was a bit disappointing ( but usually is very interesting)
-SANAA’s flower house is the end stop? Will they make it to go further? Hard to believe. now is curved glass walls, essential furniture and flowers.

I hope i can suggest a japanese artist every week.
This week is Ryoji Ikeda, sound artist, musician and much more…
wiki page
myspace
Enjoy!