Coop Himmelb(l)au: Future Revisited

October 15, 2009

Coop Himmelb(l)au: Future Revisited

Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2009 Vienna—city of Mozart—is also, it turns out, a cauldron of futurists. Among them is architecture collective Coop Himmelb(l)au, which since its founding in the ’60s has acquired a reputation for utopian thinking about man’s relationship to buildings and the environment. This exhibition, instead of displaying the many astounding […]

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Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2009

“Astro Balloon 1969 Revisited–Feedback Space,” 2008

“Astro Balloon 1969 Revisited–Feedback Space,” 2008
Photo ©Bengt Stiller

Vienna—city of Mozart—is also, it turns out, a cauldron of futurists. Among them is architecture collective Coop Himmelb(l)au, which since its founding in the ’60s has acquired a reputation for utopian thinking about man’s relationship to buildings and the environment. This exhibition, instead of displaying the many astounding creations with which Coop Himmelb(l)au has dotted the world, presents two installations that connect art and science. “Astro Balloon 1969 Revisited—Feedback Space” is an interactive work that responds to visitors’ heartbeats, while “Brain City Lab” considers the affinities between neural networks and urban environments. Both are right at home amidst the NTT InterCommunication Center’s many other trippy, provocative installations and gizmos.

NTT Intercommunication Center
Coop Himmelb(l)au: Future Revisited. Various media. Until Dec 23, free (HS and under)/¥500 (univ, adult). Open Space 2009. Various media. Until Feb 2010, free. 4F Tokyo Opera City Tower, 3-20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku. Tel: 0120-144199. Open Tue-Sun 10am-6pm, closed Mon. Nearest stn: Hatsudai. www.ntticc.or.jp