Amorphis, Atelier Manferdini, Ball-Nogues Studio, Design, Bitches, DOSU Studio Architecture, and Digital Physical / Variate Labs
The Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB) welcomes six Los Angeles-based creatives whose work embraces cross-fertilization, collaboration, and adaptation—thus creating new methodologies for research and implementation in the fields of architecture and beyond. Participants include: Catherine Johnson and Rebecca Rudolph, Design, Bitches; Doris Sung, DOSU Studio Architecture; Benjamin Ball and Gaston Nogues, Ball-Nogues Studio; Miles Kemp, Digital Physical / Variate Labs; Elena Manferdini, Atelier Manferdini; and Ramiro Diaz Granados, Amorphis, and Matthew Au.
On the basis of installations, photography, material samples, textiles, and interactive media, Almost Anything Goes presents a wide range of activity produced by some of Los Angeles’ most innovative and contemporary practitioners trained in architecture. The last 20 years have witnessed a groundswell of interest in the field and this exhibition considers the next generation of Los Angeles makers, thinkers, and teachers who are traversing myriad related fields (visual arts, theory, design, and fashion) from an architectural perspective. The spirit of inclusivity in this exhibition owes to a particular set of extant conditions particular to Los Angeles, including a recession-driven dearth of building projects, new digital technologies, growing ecological concerns, and a renegade spirit of experimentation unburdened by the weight of tradition.
The exhibition is co-organized by MCASB Executive Director and Chief Curator Miki Garcia and Visiting Curator Brigitte Kouo. Kouo is a designer with a varied academic and professional background in architecture, graphics, and visual culture. She holds a MArch from the Southern California Institute of Architecture, Los Angeles, a MA in art history from The University of Texas at Austin, and a BA in art history from Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.
Special Thanks to:
Major support for this exhibition was provided by Neal Feay Company, Goleta, CA.
AB Design Studio, Santa Barbara, CA; charissasantos.la, Los Angeles, CA; Casa Magazine, Santa Barbara, CA; CTS Rapid Set Cement Manufacturing Corporation, Cypress, CA; Firm Design, Los Angeles, CA; The James Irvine Foundation, San Francisco, CA; Montecito Journal Magazine, CA; Paseo Nuevo Shopping Center, Santa Barbara, CA; Santa Barbara Independent, CA; Santa Barbara Sentinel, CA; Viviano Construction, Camarillo, CA; and Wayne McCall & Associates, Santa Barbara, CA.