Media Architecture Institute

The next edition of the BEYOND MEDIA festival -which will take place at the Stazione Leopolda in Florence, Italy, July 9-17, 2009- will once again offer the opportunity to enhance the architectural discourse by means of a wider awareness of the role of the media of communication in the professional, academic and public field.

The ninth edition of the Florence festival is titled “VISIONS”.

It seems as if contemporary architecture lost, in the last years, its ability to pursue broad visions, to collect with a wide outlook the complex transformations of the built environment, to lead its thoughts and conscience beyond that which is usual, empirical, and visible. The massive production and consumption of architectural images resulted in a greater vicinity, on the part of the general public, to design issues. But, at the same time, they produced an alteration in the way people conceive architecture, and affected the ability and the opportunity to generate visions, and hence theories, which are deeply rooted in our times but, at the same time, are receptive towards new possible scenarios.

With “VISIONS”, the BEYOND MEDIA festival suggests to carefully think over topics of figuration and representation, and will put forward more effective visions which might be useful in tracing the outlines of our possible future.

via: beyondmedia.it

After a long break, Project Blinkenlights is coming back big time in Toronto, Canada this year. Targeting the landmark building of Toronto City Hall, the group is participating in this year’s Nuit Blanche all-night art event on October 4th, 2008. The installation’s name “Stereoscope” reflects the special nature of the building with its two curved, opposing facades effectively creating a three-dimensional appearance.

Ars Electronica’s outstanding international reputation assures it a place in the limelight during Linz’s term as European Capital of Culture in 2009. The city is now creating an appropriate architectural setting for this starring role by expanding the Ars Electronica Center. The planning is the work of Treusch architecture, Vienna.

This is an example of an ephemeral 3D Media Architecture only existing for a blink of time – on the occasion of the opening of the new Palm Jumeirah in Dubai; fits perfectly as a start into the new year: We wish a glamorous 2009 to all our readers and friends!