Exhibition: Toward the Sentient City – Sep 17 New York

An exhibition critically exploring the evolving relationship between ubiquitous computing, architecture, and urban space

Curated by Mark Shepard and organized by the Architectural League
September 17–November 7, 2009

www.sentientcity.net

Opening reception
Thurday, September 17, 2009
6:00–9:00 p.m.
457 Madison Avenue
New York City

About the Exhibition

As computing leaves the desktop and spills out onto the sidewalks, streets, and public spaces of the world around us, we increasingly find information processing capacity embedded within and distributed throughout the material fabric of everday urban space. Artifacts and systems we interact with on a daily basis collect, store, and process information about us, or are activated by our movements and transactions.

How will our experience of the city and the choices we make in it be transformed? How will the ability to design increasingly responsive environments alter the way architects conceive of space? What new types of activity can be enabled in these spaces and toward what ends?

Toward the Sentient City is a major exhibition that aims to catalyze a discussion on the design and inhabitation of near-future urban environments, featuring five newly commissioned projects:

Too Smart City
JooYoun Paek, David Jimison

Amphibious Architecture
Living Architecture Lab (David Benjamin and Soo-in Yang), xdesign Environmental Health Clinic (Natalie Jeremijenko)

Natural Fuse
Usman Haque, Nitipak Samsen, Ai Hasegawa, Cesar Harada, Barbara Jasinowicz

Trash Track
SENSEable City Laboratory, MIT

Breakout!
Anthony Townsend (Institute for the Future), Georgia Borden, Amanda Kross, Jung Hoon Kim, Antonina Simeti (DEGW), Dana Spiegel (NYC wireless), Laura Forlano (Parsons The New School for Design), Tony Bacigalupo (New Work City), Sean Savage (PariSoMa), Elysse Preposi (Sarah Lawrence College)

For more information, visit www.sentientcity.net or (beginning September 18) the Sentient City Hub:

The Urban Center
457 Madison Avenue
New York City
Monday–Saturday (Closed Thursday), 11 a.m.– 5 p.m.

Events and Related Programs

Visit www.sentientcity.net>events for more information. See below for ticket information.

Opening Reception
Thursday, September 17
6:00–9:00 p.m.
The Urban Center, 457 Madison Avenue

Project Presentation: Natural Fuse
Usman Haque
Friday, September 18
12:30 p.m.
The Urban Center, 457 Madison Avenue

Happy Hour Project Presentation: Breakout!
Laura Forlano, Dana Spiegel, Antonina Simeti, and Anthony Townsend
Friday, September 25
7:00 p.m.
The Urban Center, 457 Madison Avenue

Scrapyard Challenge
DIY Workshop with artist Jonah Brucker-Cohen and Katherine Moriwaki
Saturday, September 26
10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
The Old American Can Factory, 232 Third Street at Third Avenue, Brooklyn
League members, $30; non-members, $50
(Limited to 15 participants)

Happy Hour Project Presentation: Trash Track
SENSEable City Lab, MIT
Friday, October 2
7:00 p.m.
The Urban Center, 457 Madison Avenue

Sentient City Case Studies: New Songdo City and Meixi Lake
James von Klemperer, Kohn Pedersen Fox
October 7
7:00 p.m.
Scholastic Auditorium, 557 Broadway

Happy Hour Project Presentation: Too Smart City
David Jimison and Joo Youn Paek
Friday, October 9
7:00 p.m.
The Urban Center, 457 Madison Avenue

Sentient City Charrette and Pin-Up
Wednesday, October 14
Further details to be announced.

Happy Hour Project Presentation: Amphibious Architecture
David Benjamin, Natalie Jeremijenko, and Soo-in Yang
Friday, October 16
7:00 p.m.
The Urban Center, 457 Madison Avenue

Closing Reception
Saturday, November 7
6:00–9:00 p.m.
The Urban Center, 457 Madison Avenue

EVENT TICKETS
The opening and closing receptions are free and open to the public. Unless otherwise noted, all other events are free for Architectural League members, $10 for non-members. League members may reserve a ticket for any of the above programs by emailing rsvp@archleague.org. Non-members may purchase non-refundable tickets beginning one week before the program. Tickets may be purchased at www.archleague.org. Dates and locations subject to change. Please check www.sentientcity.net or www.archleague.org for the most updated information.

Funders

Toward the Sentient City was made possible by the J. Clawson Mills Fund of the Architectural League and the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. Additional support has been provided by the Department of Architecture, School of Architecture and Planning and the Department of Media Study, College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Buffalo.

League programs are also supported by the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.