Francesco Moschini presenta Steven Holl

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STEVEN HOLL "ON STONE"
Presentation by Francesco Moschini

Speeches by

Antonio Gabellone, Mario Mangione, Massimo Crusi, Annette Goderbauer, Paola Iacucci, Antonella Mari
Acaya Castle, 10th july 2010 - 15th january 2011 / from 7.30 p.m.

A critical foreward by Francesco Moschini will open the exhibition on Steven Holl's work in the Acaya Castle. This event is
another result of the on-going joint effort of several istitutions (the Province of Lecce, the Institut for Mediterranean Cultures
and Teknè) in promoting contemporary architecture and its protagonists. In fact Steven Holl arrives in Salento immediately
after relevant previous exhibitions dedicated to Heinz Tesar, Alvaro Siza e Eladio Dieste.

In a global context marked by a growing interdependence among local realities geographically and culturally still far away
from each other, contemporary architecture is a chance for cross-contamination and fertilization, an innovation carrier while searching for a possible balance between local identity and international spread.

Rewarded by most prestigious international prizes and all over published and exhibited, Steven Holl's work interprets this
tension through a research that keeps the same intensity in designing furniture or private houses as in designing wide
urban schemes, applying to far and strongly historical local contexts up to big western and asiatic metropolis.
This exhibition is intended to be an occasion to think about the processes that marked all recent artistical productions by
the atelier Steven Holl Architects SHA in China and in Europe. While the projects build in China (Horizontal Skyscraper in
Shenzen, Linked Hybrid in Beijing and Herning Museum in Contemporary Arts and Architecture) explore cities' macro
dimensions through architecture as a lens, the projects build in Europe express the aim to preserve natural landscapes
(Herning Museum, Knut Hamsun Center, Loisium Alsace and the Citè du surf in Biarritz). Since in China one of the most
important urbanization processes in history is going on, this projects create urban and collective spaces more than simply

buildings. These are not mono-functional buildings, but hybrid constructions enriched by strong programmatic oppositions.
At the micro-dimension, european projects aim to create new spaces investigating simultaneously natural lighting and
tactile phenomena by experimenting and developing new materials.

The exhibition shows the design process from the starting concept up to realization, documenting different phases as
maquettes shaping, drawing and virtual animation. The works exposed are the result of a collaboration between SHA
ateliers in New York and in Beijing, characterized by a non-stop round-the-clock productive cycle, due to different time
zones. What comes out are extraordinary projects sampling the fusion of landscape, urban design and architecture.
The smallest objects in the exhibition are stone sculptures realized exclusively for this occasion, showing Steven Holl's
sculptural attitudes. Realized in Lecce from digital master models directly e-mailed from New York, these sculptures
witness worth and opportunity of cooperative work.
In this exhibition recent works get melted with the unique history of the XV century Acaya Castle, thanks to the technology of high definition videos and the designing process "on stone".
The publishing of the italian edition of a fundamental theoretical book by Steven Holl, Urbanisms, will integrate the
exhibition.

Steven Holl himself wanted this exhibition to be a tribute to Salento and to its primary nature: this is why the exhibition title
"On Stone". This is why the american architect has designed four sculptures that has been realized on Lecce' stone
thanks to a collaboration with the Cursi Municipality and with the enterprises PIMAR and DE LUCA.

The exhibition will be opened on 10th july 2010 in Acaya Castle according to the following schedule:
- 7.30 p.m. opening jointed conference by:

Antonio Gabellone - President of the Province of Lecce
Mario Mangione - Major of Vernole
Massimo Crusi - President of the Architects Association of the Province of Lecce
Annette Goderbauer - Collaborator of Steven Holl Atelier in Europe
Francesco Moschini - Professor of Architecture and History of Art at the Polytechnic of Bari
Paola Iacucci and Antonella Mari, architects that made this exhibition possible
Steven Holl.
At 9.00 p.m. the exhibition will be officially opened.
This opening is a prestigious cultural event, capable to raise for this occasion Salento on the level of world cultural capitals.
This event is part of the cultural program promoted by the Province of Lecce and granted by Regione Puglia in the frame of
Salento Negroamaro Festival 2010.
The exhibition has been realized with the fundamental support of several local partners: Architects Association of the
Province of Lecce, Engineers Association of the Province of Lecce, Coop. Artemisia, Kubico, Meta Sistemi, Forel; Double
Tree by Hilton Acaya Golf Resort Lecce, Korema Associati, coop. PAZ., A.A.M. Architettura Arte Moderna