This multi-layered book focuses on an innovative exhibition and event series that both celebrates the major American and European works from celebrated French artist Xavier Veilhan and gathers anecdotal and historical documents of many of the greatest domestic and private spaces of modern architecture.
Veilhan returns with
Architectones to his favorite non-traditional exhibition format—site-specific works in architecturally-significant spaces. Following solo showings at the Palace of Versailles and The Phillips Collection, with this project the artist takes on the specters of modernism, altering the buildings temporarily through sculpture, music, light, and the interaction between site and guests. Seven installations occupied classic buildings between 2012–2014: Richard Neutra's VDL Research House (Los Angeles), Pierre Koenig's Case Study House No. 21 (Los Angeles), John Lautner's Sheats-Goldstein Residence (Los Angeles),
Le Corbusier's Cité Radieuse (Marseilles),
Paul Virilio and Claude Parent's Sainte-Bernadette du Banly (Nevers), Konstantin Melnikov's Melnikov House (Moscow), and, finally, Mies van der Rohe's Pavilion (Barcelona).
This publication is an extension of the Architectones project itself. It documents these short-term, ephemeral installations with photographs and shares the artist's writings, plans, drawings and technical specifications for each structurally impressive work. The book's design reflects the refined aesthetics of Veilhan's own practice. The oversized format features layout and type treatments inspired by the clean and classic sensibility of architectural project documents.
