for this year’s international architecture biennale in venice, M-A-D (erik adigard & chris salter) will present ‘airXY: from immaterial to rematerial’ as part of the ‘out there: architecture beyond building’ curated by aaron betsky.

– M-A-D provided us with the following info on the project –

‘AirXY’ bridges technological, aesthetic and ethical concerns with our responsibilities for the physical and
social world. In doing so, the project calls for collaboration between the disciplines of technology, media
and architecture. the installation is made up of two symbolic components: a wall and a tree. the wall is a
responsive, real time media screen and the tree is a dynamic architecture of light. together, they reveal
the sensory experiences of the complex world we inhabit—the relational ecology of our minds, societies
and environment. its materials consist of ephemeral elements: projected images, computer code, smoke,
light, sound, and scent.’

venice architecture biennale 08 preview: 'AirXY' by M A D

‘AirXY’ positions itself at the convergence of two spaces: the space of 2-D representation (icons, interfaces
and screens) and that of a felt, embodied space of sensation: a responsive, inhabitable ether. new social
spaces made possible by technology occupy daily life. we spend most of our waking hours gazing at the
surface of interfaces, whether the desktop, the PDA, the mobile phone or the LED coated skins of buildings
in the globalized city. on line media depositories, social networks, wikis, blogs and 3-D worlds have become
our new habitats. while these surfaces and spaces create new relations and possibilities, they also hide
ongoing processes of sensing, monitoring and control that increasingly profile and shape our perception.‘

venice architecture biennale 08 preview: 'AirXY' by M A D

‘as we inhabit these spaces, it becomes harder to comprehend the invisible, hidden flows of monitoring and
information. these are turning into noise and even a deafening roar. but what type of transformations can
be catalyzed and amplified by architectures that are not just bricks and mortar but felt and affective?
how can these systems and our senses relate to each other? and how can structures and interfaces
engage with our deeper senses?‘

venice architecture biennale 08 preview: 'AirXY' by M A D

‘AirXY’ aims to transcend the societies of control, introducing spaces of meaning, affect and contemplation,
not simply in built places and interfaces, but within the moments that these architectures can enable:
a transformation of architecture toward the ethereal.‘ M-A-D

more

‘AirXY’ website: http://www.airxy.org M-A-D: http://madxs.com

other venice architecture biennale 2008 previews

designboom snapshot report: venice biennale 2006