George Maciunas/Fluxus Foundation Premieres Architectural Exhibition in Chelsea
Model of the Fluxhouse invented by George Maciunas.
“Fluxcity Prefabricated/Modular Building System,” an architectural exhibition featuring the work of two innovative artists from different eras and sponsored by the George Maciunas/Fluxus Foundation, premiered recently at 454 West 19th Street.
The exhibition showcases the work of George Maciunas, a visionary architect/activist from the early 1960s and Christoph Gielen, a young artist whose art focuses on aerial photography and video of urban developments.
Both artists’ works offer examples of the mission of the Fluxhouse/Fluxcity, an urban architectural design approach intended to create a better quality of living for people from various economic backgrounds.
George Maciunas, also known as the “Father of SoHo,” invented the Fluxhouse, a cost-efficient prefabricated mass-dwelling structure as a solution for urban housing challenges.
Although the Fluxhouse has never been built, Maciunas/Fluxus chairman, Harry Stendhal, sings the praises of the potential and uniqueness of the concept. “The exhibition features a visual model used to improve social welfare by improving the way people live,” he says.
Originally intended for factory production to create single-family homes with a courtyard, the Fluxhouse design can also be “stacked” to produce high rises and even an entire city.
The exhibition continues until November 30 and is available free of charge Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
—Leslie Alston