Proximity Island 2019

I studied Architecture at the ‘Aristotle University of Thessaloniki’, and having received a scholarship by the “Alexander S. Onassis” foundation, I attended the ‘M.Arch.’ course at the ‘Bartlett School of Architecture’, University of London, during which I visited the ‘Sci-Arc Institute of Architecture’ in Los Angeles. My work has been exhibited at the “Thessaloniki Design Museum”, and “The New York Foundation for Hellenic Culture” and recently at the "Onassis Cultural Center" - also published at the “Architecture in Greece” annual review. Settling in Athens, I established a private practice and construction firm, stressing on the process of realization of modern housing through design, construction of real estate, project management and development, as well as mixed use large scale projects in partnership with architectural and engineering firms. In 2014 I incorporated a multi-disciplinary approach maximizing profit through sustainable design and development and the efficient management of energy and buildings. My approach in architecture has always been two-fold: the design and realization of the built environment and the process of research stressing on urban analysis and form finding strategies concerning the notion of "urban hybrids" which challenge form and programme through the establishment of a norm for the transformation, diffusion and cross-reference of objects/machines, occurring in interstitial sites, interims and places of clashing intermediate conditions.

YURI AVVAKUMOV - born in Tiraspol in 1957. Graduated from the Moscow Architectural Institute in 1981. Since 1988 - runs AGITARCH studio. 1984-2009 - curated and participated at the exhibitions of PAPER ARCHITECTURE (genre of conceptual design in the late USSR) in Moscow, Ljubljana, Paris, London, Milan, Frankfurt, Cologne, Brussels, Zürich, Cambridge, New Orleans, Austin, Amherst, Volgograd, Venice etc. Took part at the Venice Biennale in 1996 (Sensing the Future. Architect as Seismograph), 2003 (Utopia Station) and 2008 (BornHouse). Selected projects: 1984 - STYLE FOR THE YEAR 2001. A+U competition, Tokyo, 1st prize. 1993 - UTOPIA FOUNDATION GALLERY. Moscow. 1997 - KRASNAYA GORKA BRIDGE. The British Council Competition ‘Living Bridges’, 1st prize. 2003 - K. Malevich. SUPREMATIST ARCHITECTURAL MODEL. Reconstruction project. 2007 - ABU DHABI GUGGENHEIM BIENNALE PARK PAVILION. Concept design. 2011 - NORTH CAUCASIAN CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART. Vladikavkaz. 2011 - NEW HOLLAND ISLAND STUDIOS, Saint Petersburg. Concept design and masterplan. 2014 - GALLERY FOR THE EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN ART, Pushkin Museum, Moscow. Public collections: Musée National d'Art Moderne, Pompidou Centre, Paris / State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg / State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow / State Museum of Architecture, Moscow / Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow / Deutsches Architekturmuseum, Frankfurt-on-Main / Victoria & Albert Museum, London / ZKM Museum of New Art, Karlsruhe etc.

Antonello Marotta (Alghero 1968). Architecture critic. Graduated in Architecture in Naples, where he obtained his research doctorate (PhD) in Architectural & Urban Design. An architect and writer, his studies are mainly concentrated on contemporary compositional themes. He has written for L’Architettura - cronache e storia and various reviews in the sector. His work has been published by Testo&Immagine, in the Universale di Architettura Series supervised by Bruno Zevi, Ben van Berkel. La prospettiva rovesciata di UN Studio (2003); for Edilstampa, Diller + Scofidio. Il teatro della dissolvenza (2005), Daniel Libeskind (2007). He has explored themes on the revision of modernity and memory, publishing Toyo Ito. La costruzione del vuoto (Marsilio, 2010), Mansilla + Tuñón (Edilstampa 2012) and the Atlante dei musei contemporanei (Skira, 2010, Contemporary Museums, English ed.). He has written three monographs on themes linking architecture and archaeology for the international review “L’industria delle costruzioni”: Archeologie (N°. 414, 2010), Tracce (N° 429, 2013) and Archeologie 2 (N°. 439, 2014). The Architectural Review published his article: Typology Quarterly: Museums (N° 1391, 2013). He published the book: Archeologie. Il progetto e la memoria del tempo, Edilstampa, Roma 2015. He is working on research and teaches courses at the Department of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning in Alghero (University of Sassari), where he is a researcher.

Architect and Artist. Born 1970 in Mondavio (PU), Italy Educated in Art at the “Istituto Statale d'arte”, Roma and in Architecture at “La Sapienza”, Roma. Worked since 1991 in various roman firm and from 2006 is Co-founder of Ercolani Bros., Interior and Graphic design oriented practice. Lives and works in Civitavecchia, Roma. He is the co-founder and Board member of D Editore with Emmanuele J. Pilia; His independent work includes the design of: table "DA-RING", sideboard "GUERRILLA" and chair “GAMEOVER”; PROJECTS 2014 selected at “Architects meet in Fuoribiennale_OFF” Palazzo Widmann-Calle Widmann, Cannaregio, Venice; 2004 Member of the Italian Association of Architects in Roma; 2003 Co-founder Interstizi- International Review: in 2009 is presented to the Culture Commission of the European Union in Brussels; 1997 Founder DoKC Lab: an experimental and research oriented practice dedicated to contemporary architecture and urbanism; EXHIBITIONS Exhibit and publications include: Personal Exhibition "After the End of the World" at "Isola Gallery", Roma, curators Emmanuele J. Pilia and Barbara Martusciello (2014), curatorship of italian version of “War and Architecture” by Lebbeus Woods (2012), "Peka Kutcha Night n.6” Roma (2012), exhibition cycle "3 Side of Design" organized by the Order of Architects of Rome and Province _ Roma and Fabriano (2011), exhibition cycle “Amate l'Architettura”, organized by the Order of Architects of Rome and Province _ various cities (2008).

Donatella Cusmá graduated Summa cum laude from Universitá Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Italy and holds a post-grad diploma in Architecture in Developing Countries from the Polytechnic of Turin. She is co-founder of Claret-Cup in partnership with Bojána Bányász combining architecture, installations and product design. In addition to residential and commercial projects, the two have authored a series of site specific installations such as “Folded Beauty” for the 2015 REDCAT donors Gala (Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater) in Los Angeles, and participatory event along the Los Angeles River such as “I love LA”. Their work has been exhibited at the Pasadena Armory Center for the Arts and WUHO Gallery in Hollywood, California. Ms. Cusmá lectured about her work for the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urbanism as part of “Out there doing it, 2016”, as part of FUSE Oresund Talks in Malmo, 2015 and as part of the 2019 edition of Lund Architecture Symposium in Sweden. Ms. Cusma’ is a board member of the Research Institute for Experimental Architecture founded by Lebbeus Woods co-instructing a series of International Architecture Workshops in Sweden, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and Italy. Since 2008 she is an adjunct faculty member of Woodbury University School of Architecture where she taught Design Studio, Tectonics and co-instructed the University Study Away program in Japan and Rome. Ms. Cusmá is a member of the Italian Board of Architects-Messina Chapter since 2004.

Cesare Battelli is an Italian artist and architect. He mainly devotes himself to research and experiments in the field of visionary art and architecture, as well as the realization of architectural projects on different scales. He has taught, held various workshops, and member of the jury panel in many universities as well as in international competitions. He graduated from the IUAV in Venice and holds a master's degree in architecture at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste, Städelschule in Frankfurt. From 2003 he embarked on a solo career by founding his own Visionary-Architecture research studio and maintaining some collaborative relationships with world famous studios as EMBT. The projects, collaborations and writings he has made since the early nineties have been published by the following magazines: El Croquis, Architectural Monographs (AD), Diseño Interior, Frame, Spazio e Architettura, Architettura Cronaca e Storia and various digital magazines or blogs of architecture such as Icarch and Metalocus. He is currently a Researcher at the UAH University of Alcalá, Madrid. http://www.visionary-architecture.com