Borderline Architecture 12th International Architecture Exhibition La Biennale Di Venezia Hungarian Pavilion 29 August 2010 21 November 2010

The artists Agnieszka Kurant and Aleksandra Wasilkowska are representing Poland at the 12th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice 2010, August 29 - November 21, 2010. The Emergency Exit installation not only merges the disciplines of architecture and art within this project, it is the culmination of a collaborative dialogue between Agnieszka Kurant and Aleksandra Wasilkowska that unites their interests and professional experiences. While the installation itself offers a unique and challenging experience within the Biennale context, there is also a specific set of ideas and a particular discourse in which the project is rooted. The Polish Pavilion thus represents both a cultural and epistemological moment that we attempt to unpack in this catalogue. Importantly, this background is not purely to be found in literary, theoretical or discursive texts. Rather, we hope that the many photographs, cultural references, and graphics give as much meaning to the pavilion as the essays we have brought together. In their essay Agnieszka Kurant and Aleksandra Wasilkowska present the ideas behind Emergency Exit and the concept of "urban portable holes." This is complemented by an archive of reference images, theories, films, and documents that inspire and support their work within expanding and interrelated subjects: "Utopian Ruins," "Urban Exploration," "Materialization of Utopias," "ComplexCity," and "Self-organization," "Extremely Rare Events," "Holes," "Fictional Sports and Escapism." Co-published with Zacheta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw Contributors Pedro Gadanho, Agnieszka Kurant, Markus Miessen, Magnus Nilsson, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Aaron Schuster, Aleksandra Wasilkowska

'Living as Form' grew out of a major exhibition at Creative Time in New York City. Like the exhibition, the book is a landmark survey of more than 100 projects selected by a 30-person curatorial advisory team; each project is documented by a selection of colour images.

Advanced art education is in the process of developing research programs throughout Europe. What does the term research actually means in the practice of art? What is the relation to the scientific methods of alpha, beta or gamma sciences, directed toward knowledge production and the development of a certain scientific domaine? What will be the influence of scientific research on the art forms?

Vernacular architecture represents a great resource that has considerable potential to define principles for sustainable design and contemporary architecture. This publication is the result of an overall aim to produce a valuable tool for analysis regarding vernacular heritage through different assessments, in order to define principles to consider for sustainable development. This was possible through a comprehensive reflection on the principles established and the strategies to recognise in different world contexts. The present publication was the result of an in-depth approach by 46 authors from 12 countries, concerned with the analysis and critical assessment of vernacular heritage and its sustainable perspective. The book presents 8 chapters addressing operational definitions and synopses advances, regarding the main areas of vernacular heritage contribution to sustainable architecture. It also presents 15 chapters and 53 case studies of vernacular and contemporary approaches in all the 5 continents, regarding urban, architectural, technical and constructive strategies and solutions. VERSUS, HERITAGE FOR TOMORROW: Vernacular Knowledge for Sustainable Architecture is the result of a common effort undertaken by the partners ESG | Escola Superior Gallaecia, Portugal, as Project leader; CRAterre | École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Grenoble, France; DIDA | Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy; DICAAR | Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy; and UPV | Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain. This is the final outcome of VerSus, an European project developed from 2012 to 2014, in the framework of the Culture 2007-2013 programme.