Building for the future
The theme of the multichannel film installation is the work of international architectural practices, from the South and the North, who are committed to sustainable, social and forward-looking architecture. "I was looking for architects who are principled, responsible, ethical and hands on," says Noemi Blager. The atmospheric films, set up on three screens as a triptych, each give brief insights into one of the studios' projects. Grouped by building typology, they create parallels between different geographical, cultural, social and economic contexts. They also offer an insight into the answers to the current challenges facing architects: Transforming the existing into a new use, creating living spaces or imparting knowledge – as in the self-construction of a simple shelter from affordable and natural materials in the context of a disaster relief.
"I believe in the power of Architecture to be both a physical narrator of history and to lead positive change for society and our planet. More than ever, our physical world has to create sustainable solutions that protect the intrinsic interaction between communities and local resources. My role is to showcase and cascade awareness of the unique and wonderful examples from which we can learn to do more with less," says Noemí Blager. In 2012, she had already collaborated with Arper for an exhibition on the work of architect Lina Bo Bardi, and she said she was grateful for the renewed support. "We share common values," Blager told the audience at the premiere event in Venice.
The projects presented in "A Lot With Little" include internationally renowned names such as Anne Lacaton & Jean Philippe Vassal, Marina Tabassum MTA or Francis Kéré, but also works by smaller teams such as Semillas, a non-profit organisation from Peru that realises educational and community projects. QR codes will provide further information on the projects at the exhibition venues. "It's not a documentation, it's an installation," says Noemi Blager. And it is now going on tour, currently to the MAS Context Reading Room in Chicago and next year to the ZAZ in Zurich and the German Architecture Centre in Berlin, among others. "A Lot With Little is a fascinating journey into architecture, which in this project best expresses its true meaning – to listen to and accommodate people's needs, in different contexts and moments of their lives. Supporting and promoting this project for us means echoing a powerful message: in architecture and in design you have to put people at the center, in order to offer new and useful solutions to their needs.", says Roberto Monti, CEO of Arper.
"A Lot With Little" shows examples of work by:
Mariam Issoufou Kamara, Atelier Masōmī, Niger
Anne Lacaton & Jean Philippe Vassal, Lacaton & Vassal, France
Mauricio Rocha, Taller de Arquitectura Mauricio Rocha, Mexico
Marina Tabassum, MTA, Bangladesh
Jan de Vylder & Inge Vinck, A JDVIV, Belgium
Francis Kéré, Kéré Architecture, Burkina Faso/Germany
Solano Benitez, Jopoi de Arquitectura, Paraguay
Marta Maccaglia, Semillas, Peru
Shigeru Ban, Voluntary Architect's Network, Japan
Marta Peris & Jose Toral, Peris + Toral Architects, Spain
