The Violence of Participation

Book published by Sternberg Press (2007)

What exactly is Europe? Is it an actual place or just a temporary community based on shared political and economic interests? Edited by London-based architect and writer Markus Miessen, this compilation ... [more ▼]

What exactly is Europe? Is it an actual place or just a temporary community based on shared political and economic interests? Edited by London-based architect and writer Markus Miessen, this compilation of essays, cartoons and other writings presents the world’s most densely populated continent as a conflicted political space whose identity must be continuously negotiated. As the European Union maintains its eastward march to countries like Turkey, bleeding beyond its classically understood political boundaries, the questions continue. Produced to expound on Miessen’s work from the Lyon Biennial in 2007, this dense paperback accumulates diverse opinions exploring what it means to live in Europe today. Graphic Design and Photography by Zak Group. [less ▲]

Did someone say Participate? An Atlas of Spatial Practice

Book published by MIT Press (2006)

Did someone say Participate? An Atlas of Spatial Practice Did someone say we need yet another anthology of essays? According to the editors of Did Someone Say Participate?, the answer is an emphatic—or ... [more ▼]

Did someone say Participate? An Atlas of Spatial Practice Did someone say we need yet another anthology of essays? According to the editors of Did Someone Say Participate?, the answer is an emphatic—or hysterical—"YES!" In fact, they'd go further and argue that the shifts that have taken place in the practice and pedagogy of architecture have been mirrored in other fields, and that this has happened to such an extent that an emerging generation of artists, activists, economists, curators, policy makers, photographers, editors (and, of course, architects) is reshaping how we look at contemporary social and political reality. Despite their apparent disciplinary differences, these professionals are all spatial practitioners. What was once seen as the defensive preserve of architects—mapping, making, or manipulating spaces—has become a new "culture of space" situated in the global market and media arena. Did Someone Say Participate? showcases a range of forward-thinking practitioners and theorists who actively trespass into neighboring or alien fields of knowledge in activities that range from collaborative forms of interdisciplinary practice to identifying practices of ethical terror. For the first time, architecture is here presented as the architecture of knowledge. Participation—social, political or personal—is once again at the forefront of research. Together, the contributions form an atlas of spatial practices resembling the early medieval maps that attempt to show the entire known world. Did Someone Say Participate? will be essential reading not only for those involved in the future of architectural research and practice, but for anyone interested in navigating through current forms of cultural inquiry and debate. Contributors: Åbäke, Shumon Basar, Johanna Billing, Celine Condorelli & Beatrice Gibson, Keller Easterling, Francesca Ferguson, Justin Frewen, Stephen Graham, Joseph Grima, Mauricio Guillen, Michael Hirsch, Bernd Kniess & Meyer Voggenreiter, Armin Linke, Brendan McGetrick, John McSweeney, Markus Miessen, Matthew Murphy, Lucy Musgrave & Clare Cumberlidge, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Bas Princen, Wendy Pullan, Frank van der Salm, Luke Skrebowski, R&Sie(n) with Pierre Huyghe, Peter Weibel, Srdjan Jovanovic Weiss and Eyal Weizman. Graphic design by Åbäke. Spanish Edition, published by DPR editorial, Barcelona, is available under the name Alguien Dijo Participar [less ▲]

European Kunsthalle

Book published by Walther Koenig (2006)

Museums, galleries, foundations, collectors, artists, viewers--how do they all come together? How is that changing? This collection of essays and some photographs from a Cologne working group called ... [more ▼]

Museums, galleries, foundations, collectors, artists, viewers--how do they all come together? How is that changing? This collection of essays and some photographs from a Cologne working group called European Kunsthalle tackles the fundamental issues facing new initiatives and institutions for contemporary art. It is divided into five topics: The Problem of Location, The Process of Societal Transformation, Cultural Economies, Curatorial Concepts, and, most ambitiously of all, The Way in Which the Art System Operates. Articles and discussion transcripts include "The Crisis of the Audience," "The Cultural Politics of Institutions," "Smuggling: A Curatorial Model," "The Power and Powerlessness of the Private Collector" and Liam Gillick's "Revised Construction of One." [less ▲]

Bidoun

Book published by Bidoun Issue 8 (2006)

INTERVIEW issue, guest-edited by Markus Miessen Since 2004, Bidoun has filled a gaping hole in the arts and culture coverage of the Middle East, pioneering a distinctive voice that is intelligent ... [more ▼]

INTERVIEW issue, guest-edited by Markus Miessen Since 2004, Bidoun has filled a gaping hole in the arts and culture coverage of the Middle East, pioneering a distinctive voice that is intelligent, critical, and original. From the beginning, Bidoun has served as a platform — for new questions, images, and ideas about the Middle East. Bidoun’s activities fall in three primary areas: publishing, educational, and curatorial. Contributors: Lisa Farjam, Tirdad Zolghadr, Deena Chalabi, Robert Shapazian, Thomas Keenan, Markus Miessen, George Pendle, Ahdaf Soueif, Kamran Rastegar, Lex ter Braak, Nav Haq, Naeem Mohaiemen, Mai Abu Eldahab, Curtis Brown, Bruce Hainley, Mustafa Zikri, Hugh Macleod, Basak Senova, Christopher de Bellaigue, Mauricio Guillen, Vahid F. Parsa, Sheila Whitaker, Antonia Carver, Nat Muller, Emily Speers Mears, Kathryn Garcia, Ioannis Mookas, Abdellah Karroum, Bassem Mansour, Regine Basha, Niels Henriksen, Murtaza Vali, Hassan Khan, John C. Welchman, Mike Kelley. [less ▲]

An Architect’s Guide to Fame

Book published by The Architectural Press (2005)

In response to the reciprocal relationship between publicity and everyday architectural practice, this book examines the mechanisms by which architects seek publicity and manage to establish themselves ... [more ▼]

In response to the reciprocal relationship between publicity and everyday architectural practice, this book examines the mechanisms by which architects seek publicity and manage to establish themselves and their work ahead of their colleagues. Through the essays of specialist contributors, this book enables the reader to understand the complex relationship between what they see as the built environment and the unwritten stories behind how it came about. [less ▲]