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Yona Friedman

CCA GALLERY presents an exhibition of Yona Friedman, who lives and works in Paris.

The theory and practice of Yona Friedman is an important voice in the architectural discourse of the 20th and now 21st Century. Beginning in the 1950s, Friedman has observed pressing social issues – population growth, housing shortages, poverty and environmental concerns – and as solutions developed ideas such as ‘L’Architecture Mobile’ and ‘Ville Spatiale’, advocating living environments which are adaptable to the needs of their inhabitants, allow individual freedom over design and structure, and are applicable for any society through simple techniques. Friedman pursues these ideas in a close relationship with fields such as sociology, mathematics, science, economics and philosophy. His concepts have had a worldwide impact, influencing architectural movements such as Metabolism in Japan, and he continues to inspire not only architects but also visual artists.

“My idea for the exhibition envisages that the exposed objects should be made locally by the participants of the workshop. Instead of presenting a simple retrospective show, I would like to expose, in a way, the operations my architecture involves.

“That does not mean that the retrospective should be left out completely. Drawings and photographs of my earlier work will also be presented, as well the “instructions” which served for making the objects. For me, the simplicity of assembling the structures out of inexpensive components is important. The material (hula-hoop rings, bamboo poles, flexible plastic tubes and even wire grids) can easily be found in do-it-yourself shops. For the assembly, strong adhesive tape and/or metal wire can be used. The assembly itself does not involve expertise: simple skill anybody can have suffices.

I had exhibitions based on similar principles in several places: Shanghai, Paris, Italy, Spain and Hungary. Students, or some of the visitors did the work and did it well.

Architecture can be improvised and can become a popular art. Why not?”

This post is also available in: Japanese