TECHNOECOLOGIES EXHIBITION Zenovia Toloudi/ Studio Z

This exhibition reconceives the relationship between humans and their environment in architecture through prototypes and models that explore emerging forms of bioarchitecture, living systems, and evolving environments. The exhibition critiques the performance-driven corporate architecture of “sealed” envelopes and controlled environments, which disconnects users from natural air, light, and exposure to public activity, while contributing to spatial homogeneity, dullness, and possibly triggering psychobiological disorders.

On the contrary, Technoecologies exhibition proposes a metabolic architecture as a provocative alternative approach, being manifested by speculative yet tangible ways. Metabolic architecture is contemplated here both literally, and metaphorically. Literally, it deals with material transformations caused by either growth or decay of organic matter. Metaphorically, it relates to immaterial transformations of light or sound caused by environmental or artificial stimuli.  Through these processes, metabolism within architecture becomes an apparatus that produces constant changes in form, space, and in user perception.

Technoecologies exhibition bridges the gap between technophilia and technophobia. While anchoring to the speeding technological changes Technoecologies projects root into tradition and society to reinterpret in contemporary terms past history, culture, and traditional habits. With examples ranging from artificial sonic gardens and living wall prototypes to interactive models of seed banks, Technoecologies projects examine processes of material transformation, eventually generating a series of themes for architecture to consider, such as laboratory experimentation, objectification of nature, temporality and theatricality, the vernacular and cultural, modular and infrastructural elements, vulnerability and voyeurism, autonomy and complexity, as well as user participation. This exploration forms both a theory and a design approach, which subsequently advocate how art, technology, and architecture might progressively transform the environment, society, and culture.

Zenovia Toloudi / Studio Z. February 2 – March 2, 2018. Storrs Gallery | College of Arts + Architecture | UNC Charlotte