I C A R C H 

A HOUSE FOR G. B. PIRANESI

 

 

He was born in 1720.

 

Almost three centuries ago.

 

But he is still very much alive in our minds / hearts, from Jennifer Bloomer to Rem Koolhaas to...

 

The heavy stone seems our contemporary, somehow.

 

So does the imperial arch, broken by time and the elements, if not by wars, fire and other human contributions to life / death.

 

Why is Piranesi still our contemporary?

 

Is it just nostalgia?

 

Is it just "the inner prison" we are still unable to escape?

 

Is it his amazing draftsmanship?

 

We ask you to design a house for him.

 

A HOUSE FOR GIOVANNI BATTISTA PIRANESI.

 

A house for the one who invented the dark dreams of architecture.

 

Our dreams.

 

This competition is organized by a partnership between Via Piranesi srl Milan, Italy and ICARCH Gallery, Chicago, USA.

 

Please send ANY work, ANY size and ANY format that responds to the theme to icarchgallery@yahoo.com. We will publish all the works received on www.ymag.it and www.icarch.net. We do not charge an entry fee, but we do accept donations, however small, payable by PayPal to admin@icarch.net. This will help us maintain and develop our website. The deadline is April 18th, 2010 - when the exhibition Piranesi, il Rembrandt delle Rovine (that opens on February 17th, 2010 at Casa di Goethe in Rome), ends. We plan to have an exhibition with the best works received in Italy, starting on October 4th, 2010, when we will celebrate Piranesi's 290th birthday.  Thank you.