Jean Nouvel wins the Pritzker Prize

Curious that in explaining their choice, as the NYTimes reports, the Pritzker committee explained that in a recent project Nouvel manages to work both with and against a site. Here are photographs I took at two of his most famous projects in Paris in 2006. The first is a detail of the light responsive system of apertures on the facade at the Arab World Institute and the the other is a partial view of the Quai Branly Museum.
My most vital memory concerning Nouvel was a lecture at USC I attended in 1998 during which I witnessed Jalal Toufic (who was teaching at CalArts at the time) subject Nouvel to a scathing, awkward and ultimately productive critique.

slightly site-related

Though I confess that Janet Sarbanes new short story collection entitled Army of One (Otis Books/Seismicity Editions) has a somewhat tangential relationship to the usual content for this blog... given my enthusiasm for this book, I thought you should know about it.
This is fiction that matters! Here is an upcoming reading schedule in Southern California:
April 15 - Redcat
April 16 - Otis College of Art and Design
May 16 - Hammer Museum
You can order a copy here.

Experimental Geography

Nato Thompson has curated what looks like an excellent new show....

AnyTime, AnyPlace

A 2 Day Symposium on Art Collectives in the 21st Century

Thursday March 13 — Friday March 14, 2008

The artist groups participating in Anytime, Anyplace are some of the finest examples of 21st century creative collaborative efforts. A network of collaborative groups exists around the globe, exchanging knowledge, entering into conversations, and expanding the range of communication associated with art production. They work not only to challenge the systems of power and accepted strategies adopted by young artists, but also to serve as cultural agents who aggressively push the boundaries of art—what it does, what form it takes, and how it ultimately interfaces with our contemporary world.

DAY 1: Thursday, March 13th @ the PCC FORUM

7:00 - 7:45 pm Keynote Speaker: Grant Kester (critic and art historian)

7:45 - 8:15 pm Dessert and Coffee Bar

8:15 - 9:00 pm Guest Speakers: Brett Bloom and Salem Collo-Julin, Temporary Services

DAY 2: Friday, March 14th in R122

9:00-10:00am Registration

10:00-10:50am Session One: Futurefarmers

11:00-11:50am Session Two: Temporary Services

12:00-1:00pm Lunch in PCC Art Gallery Courtyard

1:00-1:50pm Session Three: Temporary Travel Office

2:30-6:00pm Tour with Temporary Travel Office to former 1984 Los Angeles Olympic sites

For more information, see the event page.