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Couple who developed "transhumanism" architecture are among Madoff victims
comments (0) March 24th, 2009 in Blogs
Richard Defendorf, contributor
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Most people would argue that their living space should be designed as a refuge from many of life’s abundant challenges.
But Japanese artist Arakawa and his wife, Brooklyn-born artist Madeline Gins, devoted much of their careers to creating living spaces – with undulating floors, irregular placement of fixtures, and other design oddities – that are intended to challenge occupants as they attempt even mundane tasks such as opening a window or walking from room to room.
The couple's designs stem from an intellectual philosophy called “transhumanism,” which embraces the use of technology to improve humans’ mental and physical abilities, especially as they try to combat the infirmities of age.
But as a lively feature in Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal explains, Arakawa and Gins are now faced with a challenge that in many ways surpasses anything posed by their “reversible destiny” living and office spaces: They are among the Bernie Madoff victims who have lost their life savings.
The Journal story notes that it’s not yet clear whether the couple will be able to sell one of their most important art projects, a large multi-panel work titled “Mechanism of Meaning,” to recover from their financial catastrophe and continue their architectural design projects. So their drama continues on a strangely transhumanist plane. Click here for the online version of the story, which includes a slideshow and video.
posted in: Blogs, architecture
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