Somewhere Other documents John Wardle Architects' installation at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale, tracing the ideas — geometric, cultural, and material — that define one of Australia's most distinctive contemporary architectural practices.
About This Book
Far more than a Biennale catalogue, this publication uses the Venice installation as a lens through which to examine the broader design philosophy of John Wardle Architects. In a centrepiece essay, Wardle draws together seemingly disparate influences — geometry, Venetian glass-making, Australian modernist painting — to articulate the conceptual layers behind the pavilion. Alongside this, essays by Max Delany, Artistic Director of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, and Rory Hyde, Curator of Contemporary Architecture and Urbanism at the Victoria and Albert Museum, illuminate recurring motifs across JWA's recent projects: portals, thresholds, and framed views as instruments of architectural meaning. Photo essays take readers behind the scenes of the pavilion's construction and into the Murano glass studio where the installation's iconic red orb was formed. Shortlisted for the Cornish Family Prize for Art and Design Publishing, 2019.
Key Features
- 152 pages of essays, construction documentation, and photo essays covering the pavilion and related JWA works
- Contributors: Max Delany (Australian Centre for Contemporary Art) and Rory Hyde (Victoria and Albert Museum)
- Behind-the-scenes documentation of contractors Jacaranda Industries, Tensys, and Derek John, and Murano glass masters
- Works by optical artist Natasha Johns-Messenger and film-makers Coco and Maximilian explored in dedicated essays
- Published by Uro Publications, 2018
What You'll Discover
- How John Wardle Architects uses portals, thresholds, and framed views as recurring spatial and conceptual devices across multiple projects
- The cross-disciplinary thinking — spanning geometry, Venetian craft, and Australian modernist painting — that shaped the Venice pavilion
- The material and fabrication processes behind the installation, from structural contractors through to the creation of a Murano glass orb
- How commissioned artworks by Natasha Johns-Messenger and Coco and Maximilian were integrated into the installation's conceptual framework
About the Author
John Wardle Architects (JWA) is recognised as one of Australia's foremost contemporary architectural practices. The studio contributed the centrepiece essay for this volume, in which John Wardle reflects on the inspiration, motivation, and processes behind the Biennale pavilion. Max Delany and Rory Hyde contribute additional critical essays, bringing perspectives from contemporary art and curatorial practice respectively.
Specifications
- Format: Paperback
- Pages: 152
- Dimensions: 165 x 241 mm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9780994396631
- Publisher: Uro Publications
- Publication Date: 2018
Perfect For: Architects and designers interested in Australian contemporary practice, readers following the Venice Architecture Biennale, and those drawn to the intersection of architecture, craft, and commissioned art.