Tomas Saraceno

21 April 2007 - 17 June 2007

Saraceno’s scale model for De Vleeshal marks the latest development in his long term Airport Cities project. Saraceno envisages new and holistic ways of cohabitating on and in the air. Drifting freely through the airspace, fuelled entirely by non-fossil natural resources, at compete liberty to attach to or disengage from each other - and so in a state of constant flux and transformation, his Airport Cities challenge our currently limited psycho-geographic conception of the world as exemplified by the international laws which render the skies even more controlled and divided than the earth. Because of their specific architecture, Saraceno’s Airport Cities demand a high level of social engagement; the inhabitants’ care and responsibility for each other form a sharp contrast to the social isolation and feelings of alienation that often characterize life in our present cities.

Saraceno’s Airport City fits in a tradition of futuristic architectural projects as realized by for instance Buckminster Fuller, Constant Nieuwenhuys and Superstudio. Saraceno develops his vision for the future in stages. Previously, he patented – and subsequently released as a free resource – an innovative application of Aerogel in lighter then air vehicles, which significantly enhances their potential to use solar energy. Another example of Saraceno’s prior work on Airport City is the hot air balloon constructed out of recycled materials, accompanied by ‘do it yourself’ instructions.

Tomas Saraceno