ADAPT-R – a major exhibition that explores the research processes of working artists, architects and designers

ADAPT-r

26 November – 18 December 2016

Ambika P3, University of Westminster, London Daily 10.00-18.00 Admission Free P3exhibitions.com

Curated by Katharine Heron, Director, Ambika P3

Press View 10am–1pm Wednesday 23 November 2016 Private View: 6.30–8.30pm Wednesday 23 November 2016 Thursday 24 November: Book Launch and talk by Tom Holbrook Friday 25 November: Opening Lecture by Deborah Saunt

What do architects, artists, and designers actually do? What inspires them? How do they make the leaps of imagination they need to break new ground? Where do they find their ideas? How do they develop, test and share them with each other? How do they know when something’s going right?

Ambika P3 is proud to present ADAPT-r, a major exhibition that explores the research processes of working artists, architects and designers – revealing the diverse approaches to how they do what they do. From digital designers to landscape architects, brand designers to design activists, painters to performance artists, and many different types of architects, ADAPT-r presents the myriad approaches to the creative process.

This ground-breaking and challenging exhibition is the conclusion of a four-year international research initiative, funded by a major EU grant, and aims to provide rare insights through an extraordinary range of 35 creative practitioners from around the globe.

ADAPT-r, curated by Ambika P3 Director Katharine Heron, features the work of Siobhán Ní Éanaigh (McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects, Ireland), Sam Kebbell (Kebbell Daish, NZ), Steve Larkin (Steve Larkin Architects, Ireland), C. J. Lim (Studio 8 Architects, UK), Marco Polleto and Claudia Pasquero (ecoLogicStudio, Italy/UK), Deborah Saunt (DSAHA, UK), Siv Helene Stangeland (Helen & Hard, Norway), Johannes Torpe (Johannes Torpe Studio, Denmark), and many more.

The exhibition offers a rich terrain of work to explore. It is divided into distinct areas charting the different stages of discovery within the creative process. Individual exhibits in the Studio show work in progress and completion by 35 practitioners, whereas Rooms reveals cross views of working together. The Library includes books and discoveries, while the Garden will be the site of a daily programme of events, including discussions, performances and screenings.

PRESS RELEASE

NOTES TO EDITORS ADAPT-r: The Background

Over a four year period, a remarkable EU grant allowed the employment of 35 individual artists, architects, designers, landscape architects, as Fellows for periods of 6 to 18 months to explore their own individual creative practices. Seven universities combined in partnership, to undertake the project named as ADAPT-r – Architecture, Design and Art Practice Training-research. Each moved from their own country to a different country within the partnership to undertake a PhD by practice. All present work in progress twice yearly at what is called a Practice Research Symposium – PRS – in a convivial, mutually supportive environment of critique. The PhD process concludes with a public examination or ‘defence’. This hard work is presented with craft and intelligence, and provides extraordinary insight in to the individual creative processes. Above all, the work itself is what drives the process. Creative practitioners need opportunities and encouragement to produce new work, and to bring it to the public eye. The EU grant allowed each practitioner the luxury of some paid time to think about their own work and creative processes and to share it with others.

The exhibition presents the work in the context of an international training network for practice based research in a PhD programme and will show the work of five practitioners who have completed their PhD, and four who will present at the time of the exhibition, as well as the work in progress of a further group of twenty six practitioners. See: http://adapt-r.eu

THE PARTNER INSTITUTIONS

ADAPT-r is a partnership of seven European Universities – Aarhus School of Architecture (Denmark), University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), KU Leuven Faculty of Architecture (Belgium), Estonia Academy of Arts (Estonia), Mackintosh School of Architecture – Glasgow School of Art (UK), RMIT Europe (Spain) & University of Westminster (UK).

http://arch.kuleuven.be/english, www.architecture.rmit.edu.au www.westminster.ac.uk/about- us/schools/architecture , www.fa.uni-lj.si, www.artun.ee, aarch.dk , www.gsa.ac.uk

ACCOMPANYING CATALOGUE/BOOK

Published to accompany the exhibition, an illustrated book, ADAPT-r, acts as both a guide to the exhibition and a memorandum of the ADAPT-r process. In addition to features on specific ADAPT-r projects, the book includes further details about the institutions involved, each fellows’ personal motivation and approach to the worlds of design and research, a guide to the layout and philosophy behind the exhibition and specially commissioned essays by Richard Blythe, Kester Rattenbury, Leon van Schaik and Fleur Watson, reflecting on the evolution and future of the ADAPT-r model.

The book is edited by Katharine Heron and Clare Hamman, with an introduction by Katharine Heron and Foreword by Johane Verbeke. Published by University of Westminster, November 2016, £10.00 (paperback). The book will also be available digitally.

EVENTS

Evening Events – weekdays only – include music, film, and practitioners in conversation. Practice Research Symposium 24 – 27 November
Booking is essential online at: www.p3exhibitions.com

PRESS RELEASE

ABOUT AMBIKA P3

Director: Professor Katharine Heron
Ambika P3 is the University of Westminster’s space for contemporary art and architecture, presenting a public programme of solo and group exhibitions, education projects, talks and
events. Dedicated to innovation, experimentation and learning, the programme has been conceived as a laboratory and meeting place for practitioners, industry and academia.

Past exhibitions at Ambika P3 include Anthony McCall’s Vertical Works (2011), David Hall’s End Piece… (2012), Ilya and Emilia Kabakov’s The Happiest Man (2013), Victor Burgin’s A Sense of Place (2013), Elizabeth Ogilvie’s Out of Ice (2014) and Potential Architecture with Apolonija Šušterŝič, Alexander Brodsky, Joar Nango and Sean Griffiths (2015) and Chantal Akerman: NOW (2015).

Forthcoming exhibition: The Casebooks Project (17 March – 23 April. 2017) curated by Michael Mazière.

VISITOR INFORMATION

ADAPT-r

Saturday 26 November – Sunday 18 December 2016 Daily 10.00-18.00 Admission Free
Ambika P3, University of Westminster, London P3exhibitions.com

Curated by Katharine Heron, Director, Ambika P3

Private View: 6.30–8.30pm Wednesday 23 November 2016 Thursdays 24 November: Book Launch and talk by Tom Holbrook Friday 25 November: Opening Lecture by Deborah Saunt

Bookable events online at: www.p3exhibitions.com

ADMISSION FREE

Ambika P3

Address: 35 Marylebone Road, NW1 5LS Opening hours: Everyday 10am – 6pm Nearest Tube: Baker Street
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7911 5876

Email: p3.exhibitions@wmin.ac.uk Website: www.p3exhibitions.com

For more information, interviews, or images, please contact

Kate Burvill: T: +44 (0) 207 226 7824, M: +44 (0) 7947 754 717, kateburvill@gmail.com Heather Blair: T: +44 (0) 20 3506 6941; E: h.blair@westminster.ac.uk