1

ModernArchitecture,OnceMore

In1992,thehistoricalshowModernArchitecture:InternationalExhibition(Exhibition

15/1932)1wasrestagedinArthurRossArchitectureGallery,ColumbiaUniversity,NewYork,

partlyasacommemorationofits60yearsanniversarybutmostlyasacriticalreevaluationofthe

showwhichgavebirthtotheInternationalStyle.Itwasnotsimplyanexhibitionaboutthe

historyoftheexhibition.AswrittenintheexhibitionfactsheetproducedbyColumbia

Universityastheorganizer,theExhibition15/1932wouldbeaccuratelyrecreatedforthefirst

time,fromitscontenttoitsdisplayconfiguration.2

Thisunprecedentedmethodinencounteringanestablishedhistoricalnarrativeisclaimedasa

milestoneinthehistoryofAmericanarchitecturaltheoryandpractice.3Yet,thisstatement

carriesdoubt.Itevokesquestionofwhatrelevancethereenactedcontentofmodernarchitecture

couldbringinthemuchdifferentcontextoftimeanddiscourseofthe1990s.Atthesametime,

thismethodisproblematicasitcouldbeeasilymisinterpretedasanapologiaformodern

architectureorasaromanticizationofhistory.Howwouldacriticalreevaluationcanbe

producedthroughthiscompleteredux?

1
TheexhibitionwasheldinthetheMuseumofModernArt(MoMA)andwasrecordedinthearchivesas
Exhibition15.
2
ColumbiaUniversityGSAPP,ExhibitionFactSheet:TheInternationalStyle:Exhibition15andtheMuseumof
ModernArt,1992,1.
3
Ibid.

2

Iattempttoshowthat,onthecontrary,Exhibition15/1992shouldbedeliberatelyreadwithinthe

contextofmediadebatethatwasflourishinginarchitecturaldiscourseduringtheNineties.While

itscontentdealswithmodernarchitecture,itsoperationactsmoreasacriticaldeconstructionof

traditionmodernarchitecture,inthiscaseinordertoopenitsclosedsystem,acultural

strategywhichHalFosterdefinesaspostmodernofresistance.4Thiskindofoperation,as

displayedbyExhibition15/1992,providesastrongpotentialityinreconfiguringanestablished

historicalnarrativewhichhasbeenmulti-layeredbymediaeffects.Yet,awarningshouldbe

madeinadvance:initsefforttocountermediaeffects,thereenactmentcouldnotescapefromthe

mediaenvironmentthatsurroundsboththereenactedobjectandthereenactmentitself.

Moder ncontent,postmoder ncontext

Surprisingly,insteadofcomingfromrelatedactorsorinstitutionsoftheInternationalStyle,the

ideatocommemorateExhibition15/1932wasproposedbyColumbiaUniversity,aninstitution

whichwasoftenreferredaspartofthepostmodernschoolandwasleadedatthattimeby

BernardTschumi,oneoftheprominentfigureofarchitecturalpostmodernism.Whilebytheend

ofthetwentiethcentury,Exhibition15/1932,heldintheMuseumofModernArt(MoMA),New

York,wasstillrespectedasthemostfamousAmericanarchitecturalshowinthiscentury5and

astheturningpointinthehistoryofAmericanarchitecture,6theacademicenvironmentatthat

4
HalFoster,Postmodernism:aPreface,inTheAnti-Aesthetic:EssaysonPostmodernCulture,ed.HalFoster
(Washington:BayPress,1983),xi-xii.
5
SuzanneStephens,AShowAboutaLandmarkShow,NewYorkTimes,March5,1992PaulGapp,Backto
theFuture,ChicagoTribune,April12,1992SusanWyndham,AndtheysaiditwouldntlastTheWeekend
Review,April11-12,1992.
6
BrendanGill,1932,TheNewYorker,April27,1992.

3

timehadbeenmuchshifted.Modernarchitecturelostitsgripasthedominantschooland

postmoderndiscoursearousedthroughmanyarchitecturaltheoriesandpractices.

Theshowinevitablybroughtupquestionsontheinstitutionsauthorityandtheideologyit

carried.AreviewinArtinAmericajournalwritesthattheshow,despitebringinga

you-were-almost-thereexperiencethatwouldsatisfymanypeople,ignoredapervasive

elementofpoststructuralistthoughtatColumbiasarchitectureschool.7OtherreviewinNew

YorkMagazinewritesinamoreblatanttone,Columbiahasbeenahotbedofdeconstructivism

inrecentyears,sothereisspecialironyinitssponsorshipofashowonworkthatissototally

alientoitsownideology.8

Thereare,however,twoviewpointstoobservetherelevanceoftheexhibition.Onewayistosee

itastherecurrenceofcontext.ThissuggestioncanbefoundinthecatalogueofExhibition

15/1992,whereTerenceRiley,thedirectoroftheexhibitiondescribesthesimilaritiesofthe

culturalconditionsbetween1932and1992:worldwideeconomicinstability,aseverehousing

crisis,andanarchitecturalcultureobsessedwithsimulation.9Butthisanswerremains

incomplete,asitdoesnotprovideastrongexplanationontherelevanceoftheaccuraterestaging.

Tosaythatthe1932culturalconditionsiscontextualtothe1992alsoimpliesthattheexhibition

providescontextualanswertotheconditions,meanwhiletechnologicaladvancementandurban

formsattheleasthavechangedsubstantially.

7
JosephGiovannini,BacktotheFuture,ArtinAmerica,vol80,no.12(December1992):59.
8
CarterWeisman,TheModernistsRevenge,NewYorkMagazine,March23,1992,68.
9
TerenceRiley,TheInternationalStyle:Exhibition15andtheMuseumofModernArt,(NewYork:Rizzoli
International,1992),98.

4

Anotherwaytoseetheshow,whichcouldprovideamorecriticalstance,istoobserve

Exhibition15/1992asmediacriticism.ThissuggestionisimpliedinRileysfascinationwhenhe

startedtoreadthecatalogueofExhibition15/1932andthebookTheInternationalStyle:

ArchitectureSince1922,bothwerepublishedintheyearoftheexhibition.Hewasamazedby

themediaeffectswhichlayeredtheexhibition:

Irealizedthatthebookismorefamousthanthecatalogue,isrepublishedmanytimes,
andwhatbecamerealrightawayisthatthematerialinthecatalogueisnotthesameas
thematerialinthebook.SoIbecamewonderingwhatreallywasintheexhibition.[...]
The1992exhibitionbecamelikeakindofdetectivestorytofigureoutwhatthe
exhibitionwaslikeandhowitwassimilartothebook,howitwassimilartothe
catalogue,butalsohowitwasuniqueanddifference.10

Thisintention,tocleanupwhatwasandwhatwasnotintheexhibitionbyreconstructingthe

crimescene,wasresoundedmanytimesbyRileyindifferentoccasions.Albeitmodernin

content,theshowsprimaryconcern,asseeninhisstatement,istoreconfiguretheconceptions

oftheexhibitionandtheInternationalStylethathadbeensaturatedandobfuscatedbymedia

effects.Bytakingthisnotion,theshowbecomesaremarkableturnaround.

Thereenactmentlogic,then,isvalidastheExhibition15/1932hadturnedintoamyth.The1932

exhibitionsexistencehadbeentakenforgrantedandwasexchangedsooftentotheextentthat

everyoneseemedtoknowwhatitwaswithoutreallyknowingwhatitwasexhibiting.11The

relationbetweentheexhibitionandthelabelitattemptedtoadvocatebecamemuchmoredistant

10
Riley,December6,2015.
11
Ibid.

5

astheInternationalStyleturnedintomaincurrencyofmodernarchitectureaftertheevent.The

associatedmeaningofthelabelkeptchangingasitwasusedtorefermanybuildingswhichwere

designedbeforeoraftertheeventbutwerenotactuallyexhibitedinit.Forinstance,Rileypoints

outhowVincentScullyrefersMiessSeagramBuilding(1958)inhis1985essaybystatingitas

InternationalStyleslabinitsemptyplaza.12AftertheWorldWarII,thetermsomehow

becameequivalenttothesteel-structuredandglass-walledofficeblocksmeanwhile,inthe

Exhibition15/1932,onlyoneapartmentbuildingdesignedbyBowmanBrothersmightshare

someresemblancewiththissortofglassandsteeltower.AsconcludedbyRiley,theconceptions

oftheInternationalStyle,includingitsdegradationduringpostmoderndiscourse,werenot

necessarilyrelatedtotheactualpositionofthecuratorsasappearedintheexhibition.13

Theattempttountanglethemediaeffectsshouldbeunderstoodinaccordancewiththemedia

debateinarchitecturaltheoryandcriticismwhichwasflourishingatthattimebyacademic

figuressuchasBeatrizColomina,MichaelHays,ManfredoTafuri,andMarkWigley.

Architectureproduction,aseminalbookonthesubjectofmediadiscourseinarchitectureedited

byColomina,waspublishedin1988,justfewyearsbeforeExhibition15/1992.Colomina,inher

introduction,pointsouthowtheculturalindustriessuchaspublications,journals,exhibitions,

magazines,newspapers,catalogues,radio,andtelevisionsmanifestintoarenaswhere

architectureiscontinuouslyproduced,marketed,distributed,andconsumedintheageofmass

reproduction,evensincetheeraofmodernismavant-garde.14

12
Riley,TheInternationalStyle,94.
13
Ibid.,98.
14
BeatrizColomina,Introduction:onArchitecture,Production,andReproduction,inArchitectureproduction,ed.
BeatrizColomina,(NewYork:PrincetonArchitecturalPress,1988),10-23.

6

Asanoperationtodeconstructthecomplexrelationwithinthesemediaapparatuses,Exhibition

15/1992isalignedwiththisexpandingdiscourse,whichmightalsohadinfluencingthe

architectureschool.Aposterof1992springeventsatColumbiaUniversitysarchitectureschool

showsthatatthesamesemesterofExhibition15/1992,therewereotherlecturesfromWigley

andJeanBaudrillard.15Theformerisinvolvedheavilyinthediscussionofmediadiscourseand

deconstructivism.Thelatter,animportantinfluenceonpostmoderndiscourse,writesabout

mediaeffectswhichareproducingdifferentsetsofrelationbetweenobjectanditscopy,froma

faithfulonetoapuresimulation.Whilethoseeventsareseeminglyunrelated,thisappearance

moreorlessdisplaysthehappeningdiscourseattheschoolwhichmightsharethesameground

withthereenactmentofExhibition15/1932.

FIGURE1.ColumbiaUniversityGSAPP1992springeventsposter.

15
ColumbiaUniversityGSAPP,springeventsposter,1992.

7

Ar esistanceoper ation

FIGURE2.Planof
Exhibition15/1992,as
reconstructedbyTerence
Riley,2015.

ByunderstandingExhibition15/1992asmediacriticism,thecuratorspositionasan

archaeologist,ratherthanadirector,appearsvisible.Rileyreducedhisownvoiceandpresented

theidenticaldocumentstospeakbythemselves.ThisoperationreverberatesFoucaultsmethod

ofhistoryproductionborrowedfromtheworkofarchaeology:insteadoftreatingthedocuments

asaninertmaterialasilentyetdecipherabletracethroughwhichmencanspeakofanevent,

itdeploysamasselementsofdocumentstogeneratemultiplepossiblediscourses.16

Thus,itisunsurprisingthattheeffortspenttoreenactExhibition15/1932wasrigorous.More

than2,500documentsfromvariousarchivesatMoMAandothersourceswerestudiedto

reconstructthecuratorialprocessandtheoriginalinstallation.Elevenmodelswererecreatedand

MichelFoucault,ArchaeologyofKnowledge,trans.A.M.SheridanSmith,(NewYork:PantheonBook,1972),
16

7.

8

displayedinasimilargesturetotheinauguralexhibition.Allthephotographswerereproduced

fromtheMoMAsarchivalnegativesbyusingtheiractualscaleintheexhibitionasthepointof

reference,yetwerehalf-sizedbecauseoflogisticalreason.Moreover,thefaithfulreproduction

wasdevotednotonlyforitsexhibitionscontentbutalsoforitsspatialorganization.17

AcloselooktothematerializationofExhibition15/1992wouldthereforeatonceprovidea

substantialunderstandingonthematerializationofExhibition15/1932.Thisreenactment

providedthechanceforaudiencetocountertheirmediatedmemoriesonExhibition15/1932,and

thereforeeliminatedthedistancebetweentheexhibitionasrepresentedbythemediaandthe

immediatepresent,betweenthemeaningsprojectedbytheactorsandtheconceptionsconceived

bytheaudience.

Atthesametime,itmightalsogiveahintofwhatobfuscatedtheexhibition.Whatbecomes

clearrightawayisPhilipJohnsonsintentionasthedirectoroftheexhibitiontomakethe

narrativeinapopularwaythroughitsdisplayattitude.Thecriticalpositionoftheexhibitionon

theInternationalStyle,asshowninthevarietiesofthethreesectionsoftheexhibition,wasquite

diverseinitstypologies,samples,authors,scales,andsocioculturaldimensions.Thestyles

internationalitywasrepresentednotonlyviatheusualmodernarchitecturesuspects,butalso

throughdiversitiesfrommanycountries.InSectionOne:ModernArchitects,tenarchitectswere

displayedastheprotagonistssixfromUnitedStatesandfourfromEurope.Johnsontriedto

gatherasdiversetypologiesashecouldfromthesearchitects.SectionTwo:TheExtentof

17
ColumbiaUniversityGSAPPArchives,SixtiethAnniversaryRepriseofPhilipJohnsonandHenry-Russell
HitchcocksLandmarkExhibitiontoFeatureIconsoftheInternationalStyle,1992.

9

ModernArchitectureexhibited40country-basedprojects.Therewere15countriesintotal,

includingprojectsfromJapan,Russia,andCzechoslovakia.SectionThree:Housing,showcased

housingprojectsonurbanscale.Thefirstsectionwasspreadthroughthewholerooms,

meanwhilethesecondandthirdsectionstayedatoneroomeach.

However,mostpartoftheexhibition,exceptthethirdsectionwhichcontainedsomecritical

texts,wasphotographic.Drawingsweremostlyprintedsmallerthanthephotographs.Models

werealsodominant,butthesurroundingphotographsaroundthewallseemedtoaskmore

attentionfromtheeye.Thisvisualgesturemightcontributetothereductionofthecurators

criticalposition.

FIGURE3.Exhibition15/1932,MoMA(left)andExhibition15/1992,ArthurRossArchitectureGallery(right).

Yet,howtheconceptionsoftheexhibitionandthestyleweredivergedfromitsactualstanding

shouldalsobereadbeyondtheexhibitionitself.Itshouldnotbetakenassingularlyproduced,as

itsproductionwascodifiedthroughmultipleformsofoperativedocuments.


10

Theexhibition,producedunderanauthoritativeinstitutiononmodernart,servedasthe

legitimizationofthecanon.Thecatalogue,underthesametitlewiththeexhibition,extendedthe

exhibitionbycontainingscrupulouslywrittentextsontheexhibitedarchitectsandacriticalessay

byLewisMumfordonhousing.Anotherbook,TheInternationalStyle:ArchitectureSince1922,

publishedinthesameyear,tooktheroleasthemanifestoofthestylebyproclaimingitsthree

principles:architectureasvolume,concerningregularity,andtheavoidanceofapplied

decoration.Thesymposium,heldonFebruary19,1932,presenteddifferentnames,including

Henry-RussellHitchcock,co-curatoroftheexhibition,whowasinchargeinexplainingthe

InternationalStyleGeorgeHowe,oneofthearchitectindisplay,whowasaskedtopresentthe

topicWhyITurnedfromConservativetoModernArchitectureandLewisMumford,the

unofficialcuratorofthehousingsection,whowasassignedtospeakonthearchitects

responsibilityinhousing.Theoriginalproposalevenshowsthataworldwideopencompetition

ofaschoolbuildingforstudentsandyoungarchitectswereplanned,18howeverwascancelled

later,probablybecauseofthelackoftimeorexhibitionspace.19

MediacoverageplayedanothersignificantroleinthedisseminationoftheInternationalStyle.A

well-plannedstrategywasappliedinapproachingthemedia,totheextentofsuggestingits

editorial.Forinstance,adocumentcalledSuggestedPublicityStoriesonArchitectural

Exhibition,lists14themesthatcouldbewrittenabouttheexhibition.20Theexhibitionspreview

invitationincludedpressrepresentativefromdozensofnewscompanysuchasNewYorkTimes,

18
Ibid.
19
Riley,TheInternationalStyle,28.
20
SuggestedPublicityStoriesonArchitecturalExhibition,TheMuseumofModernArtExhibitionRecords,15.3,
December4,1931.

11

NewYorkHeraldTribune,BrooklynDailyEagle,EveningPost,NewYorkSun,CountryHome,

GoodHousekeeping,Charm,anddifferentkindsofmagazineslistedunder6categories:

architectureandbuildingmagazinesgeneralmagazineslandscapegardeningmechanicaland

engineeringmetalandmetaltradesandpaint,paintinganddecorating.21Thereareatleast

thirteenofficialpressreleasespublishedbyMoMAfortheexhibitionalone.

ThosevariousmodesofproductivecycletobroadcasttheInternationalStylewereengagedby

thecurators.Hitchcockisrightthen,whenhewritesthateventhoughtheavant-gardistssuchas

LeCorbusierandWalterGropiusproducedasimilarconcertedprogramforanewarchitecture,

itisstillbynomeansnecessarytoconcludethattheInternationalStyleshouldbeconsidered

theonlyproperpatternorprogramformodernarchitecture.22

Therefore,iftheexhibitionandthestyleweresaturatedbythemedia,itwasnotjustan

after-effect.Sinceitsinception,theInternationalStylewasdesignatedtobeamediaproject.This

aggressivegesturetowardspublicitywasalsosharedbyJohnsonscontemporariessuchasMies

vanderRoheandLeCorbusierwhoseworksweredisplayedinthemainroomofExhibition

15/1932.Themodernavant-gardists,asobservedbyColomina,werenotjustself-referential

theyare,instead,involvedindisseminationcyclesbyengagingmassmediaastheirsiteof

production.Colominahoweversuggestedthatthegallerysystemsinarchitecturaldiscourse,by

thetimeshewrotethepieceintheNineties,wasarecentphenomenonthatwehardlygraspedits

21
TheMuseumofModernArtExhibitionRecords,15.3,January29,1932.
Henry-RussellHitchcock,TheInternationalStyle20YearsAfter,inTheInternationalStyle,3rded.(New
22

York:W.W.Norton&Company,1995),242.

12

meaning.23Exhibition15/1932tellstheotherwisethegallerysystemasanactiveproducerof

architecturaldiscoursehasbeenvisiblesincethebirthofInternationalStyle.

Thereenactmentundidthosemediainfluencesbybringingthedocumentsbacktospeak.It

resoundsHalFosterconceptionofpostmodernismofresistance,whichinitsoperationseeksto

deconstructmodernismandresistthestatusquo,asopposedtothepostmodernismofreaction

whichintendstorepudiatetheformerandtocelebratethelatter.Interestingly,Fostermentions

thatthecondemnationoftheInternationalStyle,totheextentthatitwasregardedentirelyasa

culturalmistakeandwasrespondedbypresentingthepre-andpostmodernelements,fitstothe

latter,afalsenormativitywhereitsapplicationwouldleadtoanotherresurrectionofamaster

narrative.24Rileysposition,ontheotherwise,belongstotheformer,thepostmodernismof

resistance.Itisacounterpracticetocriticallydeconstructtheestablishedmasternarrativeandto

producetheheterogeneityoftexts,byemployingthetotalreenactmentasitsmainstrategy.

Mediatingr eenactment

MytonehasbeengeneroustotheExhibition15/1992andtothereenactmentasapostmodern

operation.However,thepracticeofExhibition15/1992alsoshowedthatreenactmentasa

practiceofmediacriticismalsobearsotherconcernsinitsownplacewhichshouldbe

readdressed.

23
Colomina,Introduction:onArchitecture,Production,andReproduction,17.
24
Foster,Postmodernism:aPreface,xi-xii

13

First,thewaythereenactorhimselfreconstructtheshowininescapablymediated.Forinstance,

torestageExhibition15/1932,Rileyhadtorelyonphotographsoftheexhibition.Nooriginal

planorotherprojectiondrawingsfortheexhibitionremained.Someissues,then,werefacedby

him.HecouldnotperfectlyreconstructtheroomwhereSectionTwo:TheExtentofModern

ArchitectureandsomepartofSectionOne:ModernArchitects,especiallyontheworksof

RaymondHoodandRichardNeutra,weredisplayed,astherewasnophotographoftheroom.In

theplandrawingofthereconstruction,theroomwasdrawnindarkshade.Theblackandwhite

natureoftheoldphotographsalsoforcedthereconstructedmodelstolosethecolorinformation

oftheoriginalmodels.Themodelswereremadewithpale-coloredwoodsandthere-exhibition

becamemonochrome.

FIGURE4.PlanofExhibition15/1932,asreconstructedbyTerenceRiley,1992.

Moreover,tocountonphotographsasanobjectivedocumenttoreferisproblematicaswell.The

denotativestatusofphotograph,asRolandBarthesexplains,alwayscarriesthepotentialitytobe

14

imposedwithaconnotedmessage.25Thephotographerandcommissionercouldprojecttheir

desirebychoosing,composing,andconstructingtheobjectsandalsoitsappearanceinprint,

suchasitspointofview,saturation,brightness,contrast,reflection,etc.Thesituationbecomes

muchmorecomplexwhenaphotographiscirculatedthroughmanydifferentmedia,asmore

actorsareinvolvedinitsproduction.

Asimilarreenactmentofmodernarchitecturemightprovidesomeinsight.In1986,Barcelona

Pavilion,whichwasdemolishedin1930,wasreenactedtwiceintwodifferentgestures.First,it

wasreenactedbyRemKoolhaasinMilanTriennale.HerestagedtheBarcelonaPavilion,which

wasalwayspresentedaslifelessandpuritan,bymakinganindoorinstallationcorresponding

withtheoriginalpavilionyetwithabendedplan.Hefurtherinfusedtheinstallationwith

physicalhumanactivitiestoimposedifferentmeaningstotheestablishednarrative.Whilethis

reenactmentprovidesotherkindofmethod,anauthoritativeandartisticone,inapproaching

reenactmentwhichshouldbeinterestingtobediscussed,itisthesecondreenactmentofthe

pavilionwhichbecomesmyinterest:thereconstructionofBarcelonaPavilioninitsprevioussite

byIgnasideSol-Morales.

ThisreenactmentbearsmanysimilaritieswithExhibition15/1992.Thereenactedobjectsare

bothmodernarchitecturelandmarkswhichwereexposedsooftenindifferentmediaandthe

reenactmentsreliedonremainingphotographsastheevidence.But,whichphotographs?

RolandBarthes,ThePhotographicMessage,inABarthesReader,ed.SusanSontag,(NewYork:Hilland
25

Wang,1982),196-199.

15

AphotographofBarcelonaPavilionfrom1929publishedbyBerlinerBild-Bericht,showingthe

Kolbefigureinreflectingpond,hasbeenreproducedandreinterpretedindifferentways.The

photographhasinspiredRobinEvanstowritethatthedifferentmaterialsofthefloorandthe

ceilingcreatedanopticalsymmetryasaneffectofthedifferentbrightness.Yet,thismaterial

differencedoesnotappearedinJohnsonsmonographonMies.Thesamephotograph,whichis

usedinthecover,waseditedtheceilingpartwaspaintedwithwhitebrush.Meanwhile,Wolf

Tegethoffusesthesamephotographtoexplaintheblurredboundariesbetweennatureand

architecturehowever,ashecroppedandenlargedtheimage,thephotographacquiredmore

grainsandthereforebecamemoresupportivetohistheory.Anothertwistisshownbyan

identicalcoloredphotographofthereenactedpavilion,whichdisplaysacontrastcolorbetween

thetreesandthewall,anothercontraevidenceofTegethoffsproposition,yetwhichcouldnotbe

observedfromhisusageoftheblackandwhitephotograph.26Thequestionbecomesclear:how

farcanthereenactmentrelyonphotographsasevidencetoreenacttheobject?

Thesecondconcern,isthatthereenactmentitselfcannotescapefromthemediaenvironment

thatsurroundsitsexistence.Thereenactmentwillstillhavetodealwiththeexistingsystemsof

production,dissemination,distribution,andconsumptioncycles.Consequently,itaddsanother

layerofexperiencetopeoplewhoperceivesthereenactmentthroughitsmediatedformof

representations.

26
GeorgeGodds,BodyinPieces:DesiringtheBarcelonaPavilion,RES:AnthropologyandAesthetics,no.39,
(Spring2001),175-178.

16

TheriskofthemediaeffectsisapparentinthepostcoverageoftheExhibition15/1992in

newspapersandmagazines.ManyofthewritingsusethesamephotographsofTheMcGraw-Hill

Building,NewYork,designedbyRaymondHoodandJ.AndreFouilhoux,whichwasincluded

inthepressreleasepackagefromtheorganizer.Thischoiceofimage,wasinevitablyaprojection

ofthecuratorsdesire,probablybecauseofitslocationinNewYorkanditsinvisibilityinthe

previousnarrativeoftheInternationalStyle.But,italsoshowshowmuchmediaapparatuses

suchaspressreleasepackagecaninfluencethemediatedformsofthereenactment.Also,inthis

transmissionofinformation,onecanalsogetitwrong:thecaptionoftheMcGraw-HillBuilding

photographinTheWeekendReviewisincorrectlyattributedasadesignbyPhilipJohnson.27

Asapracticeofreenactment,Exhibition15/1992hasshownitscapacitytoconfrontan

establishedhistoricalnarrativeandtomanifestintomediacriticism.Thispracticeislinkedtothe

mediadebateinarchitecturaldiscoursethataroseatthattime.Themoderncontentthatit

employsshouldnotbereadasamerenostalgicactorasadefenseonmodernarchitecture,asit

embracesacriticalstanceasmediacriticismwithinitspostmodernoperation.However,the

exhibitionalsoshowsthatthepracticeofreenactmentcanneverescapefromthemedia

environmentinordertoreenactandtomediateitsreenactment.Initsarduousefforttoeliminate

thedistancefortheaudiencewhoexperiencethereenactmentdirectly,itcontainstheriskof

multiplyinglayersofinformationandinterpretationforotheraudiencewhoperceivesthe

reenactmentthroughitsmediatedforms.

27
SusanWyndham,AndTheySaidItWouldntLastTheWeekendReview,April11-12,1992.


17

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