2AeM is a cooperative design effort composed of the 3 young Midwestern-sprung, spread-the world-out, out-and-out Architecture student-architects: nicholas m. reiter, Jessie Wilcox and Peter Nguyen. The team base was originally Milwaukee, WI but since has become a mobile abstraction or a state of mind. 2AeM is sometimes physical, sometimes sober, partially virtual, usually vocal, and all-the-time IN-it.
We are track jumpers, demons, villains and observing you right now. Design is the New and so are the Stakes.
with the nytimes reporting of increasing censorship by the communist party in china they've also produced a supplementary piece that outlines the creativity and pointed criticism of the government's actions.
animator Pi San's cartoons are a "mordant swipe at the educational system." One of his first animations of the wordcloud-headed character, Kuang Kuang apparently was viewed 3 million times on its first day posted. government officials reacted by slapping the artist with a fine for "inappropriate content."
here's the Pi San's first animation called: blow up the school.
* interesting editorial note: the video is posted by an online chinese magazine called danwei; which is also a type worker house_ this term is connoted with the period of chinese history under heavy socialist influence.
hooray! thanks to spirit of space, each of the groups participating the mp3: forecasting mke for the urban age now have video 'cuts.' these short clips help explain the five projects a little more clearly, cogently and succinctly than if you were to ask any of us point blank. all five are embedded below, please do some clicking.
as i've stated in a previous post; the title of this year's marcus prize is: FORECASTING MKE; for the urban age. this title was spurred on from discussions with Alejandro Aravena - the 2010 recipient of the marcus prize and our 'professor' for this semester [ along with the helpful guidance of mr. ryan o'connor ].
we are to propose projects that have the potential to attract 'knowledge creators' or the 'creative class' in an effort to put mke back on the map...
there's quite amazing potential in this city, from repurposing abandoned or outdated infrastructure [the many grain silos that dot the urban landscape or envisioning a new life for our iconic hoan bridge], to harnessing mke's claim as the 'freshwater capital of the world' and the 'city of festivals', to projecting the future of the working environment.
5 groups, 5 projects, 1 opportunity, 10 more weeks....
thanks to red mike and adam goss at spirit of space for all their hard work.
"Feedback Loop is an introduction to the ideas underlying recent experimentation with complexity in architecture. it presents key concepts such as prototyping, non-linear order, emergence, bottom-up thinking, parametric thinking, generative scripting and biomorphism, and it does so in plain language for students of architecture and others who seek an entry point into the discussion of recent design work. many of these ideas, which arose in other fields of study, are interpreted architecturally, in order to help designers leverage them in the creative act. by showing how the key concepts work together to define a coherent view of architecture, Feedback Loop supports the conclusion that the pursuit of complexity is poised to expand beyond the avant-garde to become a broad-scoped, long-term architectural movement."
kyle talbott
you can check out more of the ongoing studio work on the microcosm blog.
