DesCours2007_map+guide

is an eight-day, contemporary architecture and art event that looks
towards the future in showcasing cutting-edge, new media and interactive
installations while embracing New Orleans’ rich cultural heritage. During
DesCours, internationally recognized architects, designers, artists and
musicians will transform spaces, both ‘hidden’ and public, within the
French Quarter, along Canal Street, within the Central Business District and
in St. Roch into destination places for visitors and locals alike.
DesCours’ ‘hidden’ exhibition spaces include private courtyards located
in the historic French Quarter; special spaces not usually afforded to the
public. On Canal Street, closed storefronts hiding a rich architectural
fabric are reinvented as installation sites. In St. Roch an area, long hidden
behind abandoned properties and empty streets, realizes a transformation
into multiple art galleries. A warehouse in the Central Business District
maintaining the industrial history of this rapidly changing area is also
unveiled as a design hall. The qualities of these locations as being less
traveled, and often hidden from general public view, were chosen as perfect
locales for DesCours installations and events.
New Orleans has always had strong ties to its music and musicians.
DesCours, celebrating the new and cutting-edge while still embracing New
Orleans’ rich traditions, is the perfect event to showcase these talents. Eight
local musicians have been paired with architects, designers and artists
whose work will be shown throughout walkways and courtyards within the
French Quarter. In addition to being entertained by some of New Orleans’
best musicians, event-goers will witness how each performance interacts
with, complements and enhances the other DesCours events. Performers
include the Hot Club of New Orleans, Little Freddie King, the Troy Sawyer
Trio and many more. All of the performers, the night they will play and at
what location will be listed on the AIA New Orleans website at
www.aianeworleans.org.
AIA New Orleans is proud to offer DesCours to the residents and visitors
of New Orleans. This event, created in partnership with kk projects, is the
result of an extensive collaboration between numerous organizations, artists,
musicians, designers and architects. We would like to thank our sponsors,
including the Downtown Development District and Renew our Music, who
have made this event possible. It is through the generous assistance of our
sponsors that this event is open to the public and also free of charge. We
would also like to thank all of the artists, musicians and architects involved
in DesCours. We are thrilled to present such a stellar group of talented
designers and creators. Spanning eight days, there is time to visit DesCours
more than once, and we hope all who visit will take the time to see and
hear every exciting installation, musical interpretation and artistic creation
presented.
Coleman Adler, Jim Albert, Michael Ball,
Beth Ann Brannon, Chateau Sonesta, Coleman
Coker, Megan Cook, Mary Len Costa, Elan
Capital, Design Within Reach, Ammar Eloueini, Dan Etheridge, Myra deGersdorff, Gerald
Gabriel, Kelly Girod, Lary Hesdorffer, Benjamin Jaffe, Julie Kaminski, Mari Kanine, Donald
Maginnis, Michael Jones + Aimeé Toledano Design, Angela Morton, Nathalie Mumphrey,
Edward Newsome, Burgandy Otteson, Linda Pace, The Park Companies, Chuck Perret, Jen
Ponce, Preservation Hall, Republic Beverage, Cecile Richards, Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Lynn
Robertson, Joel Ross, Andrea Savonuzzi, Jeffrey Thomas, Jason Urcan, Leo Watermeier,
Kurt Weigle, Daneen Zeringue
Graphic design by Michael Ball | ball_m_2002@hotmail.com
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
FRIDAY, 7 DECEMBER
OPENING EVENT
FoxLin installation
723 Ursuline Avenue
Little Freddie King will perform from 7pm – 9pm.
RSVP required. Please visit www.aianeworleans.org.
SATURDAY, 8 DECEMBER
PRESERVATION HALL OPENING
SUNDAY, 9 DECEMBER
PATRON DINNER
For more information, please contact kk projects at
(504) 415-9880 or info@kkprojects.org.
AIA NEW ORLEANS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
PRESIDENT 2007 Michael Bell, AIA
PRESIDENT-ELECT Richard Fullerton, AIA
VICE PRESIDENT Jeffrey K. Smith, AIA
SECRETARY Donald Maginnis, III, AIA
TREASURER Charles L. Silbernagel, III, AIA
PAST PRESIDENT Stephen R. Braquet, AIA
AIA LOUISIANA DELEGATE Dennis Brady, AIA
AIA LOUISIANA DELEGATE J. Tracy Lea, AIA
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Angela Morton, Associate AIA
MONDAY, 10 DECEMBER
ST. ROCH GALLERY OPENING
www.aianeworleans.org
06
Noel Fisher installation
Preservation Hall, 726 Saint Peter Street
Please visit www.aianeworleans.org for musical entertainment and times.
Melissa Urcan, AIA New Orleans Executive Director
For the most current DesCours information, visit
01
12 - 17
Please visit www.aianeworleans.org for musical entertainment and times.
FRIDAY, 14 DECEMBER
CLOSING CELEBRATION
Celebration begins at 828 North Rampart St.
Featuring the Panorama Jazz Band from 7:30pm – 9:30pm.
For more information, please visit www.aianeworleans.org.
DesCours HOURS
(unless otherwise noted)
Friday–Saturday, December 7–8, 6pm to 10 pm;
Sunday–Thursday, December 9–13, 6pm to 9pm;
Friday, December 14, 6pm to 10pm.
(Please note that the St. Roch locations {12–17} do not open to the
public until Monday, December 10, 2007.)
02
ARCHITECT/ARTIST LOCATIONS
ARTS HOUSE STOREFRONT | 1338 Arts Street
Lisa Lozano
ARTS HOUSE DARKROOM | 1338 Arts Street
Gayle Laird
723 URSULINE AVENUE
Michael Fox + Juintow Lin (FoxLin)*
The Ex-Com (External Communication)
couch is one of several robotic couches
which can allow different people in remote
cities to communicate with each other
through the physical piece of furniture.
When a visitor sits on the couch it affects
another couch remotely and vice versa.
Part of the skeleton of a whale’s belly,
with etchings mimicking scrimshaw
drawings, is installed within the
house. Other small bones invite
visitors to inscribe their own message
- a dedication or wish.
The algorithmically generated patterns drawn by
this system leverage mathematical representations
of both urban growth and cellular growth, thereby
connecting the concept of city with the concept
of the organism. This project makes concrete the
idea of dynamic and fluid computer space altering
the expression and formation of a living and
growing biological material, via its collaboration
with an engineering mechanism.
926 TOULOUSE STREET
The piece consists of numerous industrial office
lights placed within the structure of an abandoned
house in the St. Roch neighborhood of New
Orleans. As the environmental light changes,
the interior lights will create a “living” house.
The overexposed interior, when viewed from the
outside, will bring light back into the abandoned
house. As we step into the house, we experience a
space of pure light.
PRESERVATION HALL | 726 Saint Peter Street
FutureProof**
Dehisce, curated by Koan Jeff Baysa,
KK Projects NATSU, Weaving of Fate
Plastic beads, brass wire, sequins,
8x12 ft.
I am weaving my prayer, memories,
and moments into the work.
- Natsu
Noel Fisher***
AREAS OF RECOVERY
Snow is not completely foreign to New
Orleans - indeed, Christmas 2004 had
a lovely white dusting - yet that hadn’t
happened since 1954! We don’t want to
take chances - thus, this year DesCours will
be using art to make it snow on Canal St,
where it will snow on anyone who walks in
front of the window.
David Sullivan
reSpore
1015 CANAL STREET
920 CANAL STREET
Flickr
Nano
8a Anonymous
920 CANAL STREET
800 Canal Street
8b 9a Nano
Video installation piece
in a storefront window
that focuses on natural
phenomena coexisting
with the mundane,
creating spectacular
effects.
A minimal elegant interactive storefront
projection. The crowd creates the tides and
waves. Is it reflecting the local water table? Is
it a street transplant of stadium crowd-waves?
Is it a study in wave-guide propagation within
social dynamics? Whatever it is, people create
it, and it’s fun. New Orleans Boogie Woogie.
Mondrian would be proud.
Atomless
Wave
800 CANAL STREET
DIXIE STEEL MILLS | 1031 Annunciation Street
SAFE
Victor Jones (FièvreJones)
An installation situated in the dark void of an
abandoned structure, SAFE seeks to temporarily
resuscitate the dormant space through the
construction of a diaphanous wrapper made of photo
luminous sheets. The wrapper is defined by a vectoral
pattern, stressing specific aspects of the building’s
interior otherwise invisible to the naked eye. The
affect is a new optical experience derived from the
registration of vectors against material surfaces of
the building.
Bubbles
For those passing by and not noticing the work,
they are not part of it. For those who take a
moment to notice it, and face it, they will find
new ideas in their heads. Or, more specifically,
*over* their heads, and over other people’s
heads, in cartoon thought bubbles. Children
too. And animals. As to what is *in* that
thought bubble... one must visit to find out!
Experiments in social telepathy.
A storefront window becomes a public photobooth for
DesCours. For those walking along Canal and wishing to
have a solo or group photo taken, one need simply look
into the storefront window for 3 seconds. A camera icon
will appear, and count down, then SNAP! the photo will
be posted immediately on the Internet. To find the photo,
simply search flickr.com for ‘NOLA DESCOURS (hour)
(day)’ - or visit www.avatari.net/DesCours/ and you will see
your photo, along with all other fellow citizens.
Klersfeld
9b 10 Noah
700 Canal Street
*
* On Tuesday, 11 December,
FoxLin’s installation (01) will only
be open to the public from 8pm9pm.
** On Wednesday, 12 December,
FutureProof’s installation (05) will
only be open to the public from
8pm-9pm.
*** On Friday, 7 December, Noel
Fisher’s installation (06) will not be
open to the public.
Historic St. Roch Market and New Neutral Ground Walking Path
Canal Street Performing Arts District; Waldorf Astoria Hotel; Saenger Theatre
C
Canal Place Three
DesCours DESTINATIONS
W New Orleans 333 Poydras Street
W French Quarter 316 Chartres Street
M
W Hotel is the official hotel of New Orleans DesCours.
Bicycle Michael’s 622 Frenchmen Street
Bicycle Michael’s is the official bike rental company of New Orleans DesCours.
DesCours HOURS (unless otherwise noted)
Friday–Saturday, December 7–8, 6pm to 10 pm;
Sunday–Thursday, December 9–13, 6pm to 9pm;
Friday, December 14, 6pm to 10pm.
(Please note that the St. Roch locations {12–17} do not open to
the public until Monday, December 10, 2007.)
For the most current DesCours information, please visit
www.aianeworleans.org