P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center: P.S.1 Newspaper 2009 Fall: Q&A with the YAP Jury: Antoine Guerrero

2009 Fall

Q&A with the YAP Jury: Antoine Guerrero

This article refers to the P.S.1 exhibition YAP 10th Anniversary Review

Part of the criteria for the Young Architects Program is a consideration of sun, shade, water, dancing and seating for P.S.1’s blockbuster summer music program, WarmUp. The jury committee comprised of both P.S.1 and MoMA staff, was asked five questions about their insights, experiences, and observations from the past ten years.

P.S.1: What do you find to be the most particular characteristics of the young architects of the past ten years?

Antoine Guerrero, Director of Operations and Exhibitions, P.S.1: It has been a rich and unique experience to observe how the participants have approached the program in such varied ways. Not only has the program continued to develop, but the young architects have developed with it. The combination of the two has produced strong characteristics: an experiential pavilion that fuses art and architecture, fosters new architectural trends and experimentation, and invigorates ideological and pragmatic concerns.

P.S.1: When do you think an installation has been/is most successful?

AG: It’s most successful when the design and image of the structure become emblematic of the institution for that summer, both in space and time. It’s when the thing is up and ready on schedule, when maintenance is not just an idea but a simple daily routine, and when the structure bears signs of wear and tear from the visitors who love using it.

P.S.1: Have you seen a change in the field of architecture due to the influence of the YAP program? How have you seen it evolve?

AG: Young architects are able to challenge their every day approach to the discipline. Experimentation is encouraged and one must negotiate the temporary nature of the structure in addition to making it visually compelling on a low budget.

P.S.1: How has the competition affected both P.S.1 and MoMA?

AG: The idea that an architect is asked to build an ephemeral/temporary structure and not a permanent environment in which something else takes place makes us to look at architecture differently, as a “large art installation.”

P.S.1: Where do you hope the competition will go in the next ten years? In your opinion, how should it move forward and grow?

AG: I can see the results of the competition being subversive by altering visitors’ notions of urban space and how it affects everyday life. It could bring dreams, if not solutions, for the challenges of our urban life and a consumer-oriented lifestyle.

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