The Gist — 2008

In utero, the body gives itself primarily to organism-assembly and only incidentally to actions and interactions. From infancy on, actions and interactions come increasingly to the fore while organism-assembly fades into the background. In any event, at all times forming – organism-assembly –happens in close association with doing – actions taken by the organism—, and doing always has some influence on forming. It may not be readily graspable and thus eludes everyday awareness but nonetheless it is the case that organism-assembly, the group of processes that together count as this, underlies all actions and interactions. Similarly, it is also subtly but surely the case that actions and interactions, which originate, after all, in relation to or even as organism-assembly processes, always indirectly affect organism-assembly, holding some degree of sway over it. What if from infancy on, actions could be made to bear more directly and regularly on organism-assembly? Having the means to approach and contribute to ongoing organism-assembly would certainly greatly advantage human beings in their continual struggle to remain viable. To be able to revisit and re-connect at will with organism-assembly would, in effect, be to have it within one’s power to go on indefinitely. The Arakawa + Gins team has spent four decades studying how architecture might best be used to sustain life. 

FOR THOSE WHO GRASP THE IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR SPECIES OF REVERSIBLE DESTINY, SUDDENLY A NEW TYPE OF CRITICAL ACTION BECOMES POSSIBLE IN THE GAME (GAME?) OF LIFE.

TO GET A SENSE OF REVERSIBLE DESTINY, SO AS TO BEGIN THINKING OF HOW TO ACHIEVE IT, READ BOTH ARCHITECTURAL BODY (2002) AND MAKING DYING ILLEGAL (2007).

ARAKAWA AND MADELINE GINS HAVE LET IT BE KNOWN THAT THEY HAVE DECIDED NOT TO DIE.  THIS DECISION WAS PLASTERED ON THE COVER OF THEIR GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM CATALOGUE (1997).

PROCEDURAL ARCHITECTURE CAN HELP PEOPLE ACHIEVE A REVERSIBLE DESTINY.

HOTEL REVERSIBLE DESTINY

BIOSCLEAVE HOUSE

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