Fluxus Prefab System at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia, 2014

Fluxus Prefab System at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia, 2014

Fluxus Prefab System, invented in 1965 by George Maciunas, is featured in Fundamentals – the 14th International Architecture Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia 2014, as part of OMA Workshop: “Reading Yingzao Fashi” at Elements of Architecture section, which is the collective efforts of AMO, Harvard Graduate School of Design and a host of experts from industry and academia.

Curated by Rem Koolhaas, Fundamentals reforms the paradigm for contemporary Biennale by highlighting historical archives and uncovering the most revealing and previously unexamined works for public viewing, continued scholarship and practices. 

At the forefront of critical dialogue concerning George Maciunas as an artist, art historian, architect and social planner, Fluxus Foundation has been dedicated to reasserting the innovatory relevance of his most neglected architectural legacy – Fluxus Prefab System to the present discussion. At this time, the essence of Fluxus Prefab System is revealed on Fundamentals – the 14th International Architecture Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia 2014, that values the rational reflections on the fundamentals of architecture with respect to manufacturing process, urban development and social planning. 

Logo_Rem Koolhaas

(Left) Logo – Fundamentals – the 14th International Architecture Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia 2014     la Biennale di Venezia © 2014   (Right) Rem Koolhaas at Elements of Architecture | Central Pavilion  Image © Fluxus Foundation

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Part1_Fluxus Prefab System at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia 2014 _Fluxus Foundation

Part2_Fluxus Prefab System at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia 2014 _Fluxus Foundation

YZFS and Fluxus Prefab System

Fluxus VS YZFS | Elements of Architecture | Central Pavilion

Image © Fluxus Foundation

Fundamental consists of three main sections, of which Elements of Architecture at Central Pavilion is regarded as the most radical interpretation of Fundamentals for architecture. It displays architecture as an integrated building system by decoding it into 15 elements (such as roof, ceiling, wall, floor, etc.), and scanning the global history of each element.

In the roof section, the system in Yingzao Fashi (an ancient Chinese State Building Standard in 1103AD) by state building supervisor Li Jie, is examined in relation to Fluxus Prefab System (1960s) by visionary architect and inventor George Maciunas (the founder of Fluxus), which sparks a critical dialogue across space and time between traditional Chinese wooden structures and modern smart structures of Fluxus Prefab System in terms of building technologies as well as their social implications.

The comprehensive thesis on the generic nature of both systems regarding modularization, standardization and mass-production is presented in form of Limited Collectors Edition: Wooden Structures and Smart Structures: Modularity in Yingzao Fashi and Fluxus Prefab System. Fluxus Foundation presented Limited Edition No. 10/500, No. 11/500, No. 12/500 to the Library of La Biennale as permanent archives, No. 13/500 to curator Rem Koolhaas. The publication are displayed at Stirling Pavilion during Biennale (June 7 – November 23, 2014). 

“Why do we study Yingzao Fashi, a Chinese architectural treatise published 900 years ago? Not only is it an architectural classic produced at the height of an era flourishing with architectural advancements, more importantly, it is a historical guidebook harboring potential knowledge for modern application.”— Foreword of Wooden Structures and Smart Structures: Modularity in Yingzao Fashi and Fluxus Prefab System by Zhenning Fang.

The thesis argues that modern thinking and application for our habitat require the courage to implement a new systematic vision to solve housing issues while honestly and wisely reflecting urgent social and environmental concerns. It is prophesied that Fluxus Prefab System, as a realistic solution in experimentation, will succeed in establishing the modularity in conjunction with thousands of years of Chinese wisdom, effectively making the leap from wooden structures to smart structures.

The publication is the starting point for discussion of a more general kind – how to evolve modernity from historical wisdom, and how to deduce the future by tracking the traditional spirit from within, which is also the key debate raised by Fundamentals.

Wooden Structures and Smart Structures- Modularity in Yingzao Fashi and Fluxus Prefab SystemFluxus Publication Limited Edition | Wooden Structures and Smart Structures: Modularity in Yingzao Fashi and Fluxus Prefab System. Authors:  Zhenning Fang, Fanyu Lin    © 2014 George Maciunas Foundation Inc./ DBA Fluxus Foundation / FANG media All Rights Reserved

Wooden Structures and Smart Structures: Modularity in Yingzao Fashi and Fluxus Prefab System​

Authors:       Zhenning Fang, Fanyu Lin

Contributor:  Harry Stendhal

Medium:       Offset lithograph on acid-free paper

Size:             25cm 25cm

Page:            188

Date:            2014

Edition:         500

Publisher:      Fluxus Foundation

Collectors Edition:  Published as Commemorative Edition for the 14th International Architecture Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia.

For more information regarding price and availability, please contact: info@fluxusfoundation.com |

1-212-675-4392 | 454 w 19th St. New York, NY, 10011.​

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