Oct 24, 2023–Jan 28, 2024

Speculations

Peter Cook
Address
Mariahilferstrasse 2, Graz 8020
Hours
Tue–Sun 10 am–6 pm

20 Years Capital of Culture Graz — 20 Years Kunsthaus Graz — 87 Years Peter Cook

On the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Kunsthaus Graz, the Haus der Architektur (HDA) is presenting “Speculations,” an exhibition of drawings and spatial objects by the British architect Peter Cook. His construction of the “friendly alien,” which he realised together with Colin Fournier in 2003, has attracted great attention worldwide, and has developed, as one of Graz’s most significant buildings, to a new architectural landmark of the city. On the opening day of the exhibition, October 22, we are also celebrating Sir Peter Cooks eighty-seventh birthday.

Cook became known as a co-founder of Archigram in the 1960s. Already at that time, hand-made drawings were the stylistic and expressive means of the neo-futurist group. To this day, he uses colourful, imaginative depictions that show landscapes, cities, and buildings from a wide variety of perspectives. The exhibition shows selected drawings from his new book Speculations, published by Circa Verlag.

In his latest works, he expands these two-dimensional “speculations” into installations in which his drawings are enlarged and then fragmented into an assembly where the spectator can walk and immerse into its atmosphere. The experimental character of the exhibition design is tailored to the rooms in the HDA. His visual collages highlight themes important to the architect and reflect many of his architectural ideas. He argues that only through the freedom of imagery can one best examine the future, freeing oneself from practical and conventional constraints to rethink alternative cities and ways of life. Cook’s inspiring depictions give rise to speculations about the future of the city, the region, people, and nature, provoking thought and inviting visitors to embark on a speculative journey into the potentials and possibilities of current and future living spaces.