Hugo Haring and the Secret Form

This travelling exhibition was the result of my long interest in re-examining a critical stage of the history of the Modern Movement in architecture and promoting the debate over an alternative modernist tradition.

As co-curator (with Professor Peter Blundell–Jones) I was responsible for the architectural design of the exhibition. The design concept was the result of my research into the theoretical principles in Haring's writings. I coordinated the making of the models of Haring’s works and their display. Alongside the exhibition, I organized and chaired associated lectures and a symposium. The exhibition was shown at the RIBA, the Architecture Association, The Cube Gallery and other venues.

Haring was a central figure in German Modernism and was key to the development of an alternative view of Modern architecture at the start of the 20th century. He is an important theoretician behind the modernist trend which viewed modern architecture as social architecture specific to place and user. This challenged the universal approach of Van Der Rohe and Le Courbusier. Haring’s writings and work inspired many architects including Scharoun, Asplund, Aalto, Mendelshon, and Behnisch. The exhibition introduced the work of this influential figure to Britain, and a broader English-speaking audience, drawing attention to the importance of form which quietly responds to social and practical imperatives.

The exhibition, accompanied by a catalogue (by Blundell-Jones), included a number of models of Haring’s work, some of which had never been built or even published previously. Reviews of the exhibition and the events arranged to coincide with it show some of its influence in subjecting Modernism to further review, highlighting an agenda seeking to understand how materials, place and human activities might inspire to generate forms. The exhibition was in collaboration with the Academie der Kunste Berlin and supported by the Arts Council.

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• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULjK6-aC...
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