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The Drawing Model Interior Destruction of Villa Petschek II is a critique of the current situation of the Villa Petchek II, the former Chinese Embassy in Prague. The Villa Petchek II in currently being transformed through rehabilitation as it is transformed from the former Chinese Embassy to the New National Literature Archive. The exterior of the building has been preserved in poor condition during the ongoing transformation while the interior of the building is in ruins. The architect specified adding another level to the existing two floors which means that the second level floor slab was torn down. Viewed from the exterior, the former two-level facade now reveals a three-level interior with I-beams, marking the new levels, visible in some of the window frames.(Fig. 1) All of this happened because the interior of the villa was considered of no historical significance. With this uneasy scenery and its abrupt spatial experience, those responsible for the transformation kept the historical facade but ignored the preservation of the interior architecture, just created such a joke.
Drawing Model
The drawing model used a plywood as canvas and created a viewing frame using reflection with pipe head. The constantly changing perspective depicts how one side of the space and the other cannot be perceived at the same time equally.
While audiences are looking at the pattern and texture on wood canvas, they can't see through the view inside the pipe head; while they move closer, they begin to forgot the drawing language on canvas but only attached to the pipe and the views.
Extractive Atmosphere
The five framed maps Extractive Atmosphere represent atmospheric documents of Villa Petschek, the Residence of the U.S. Ambassador in Prague. These maps are concerned with light and shadow, materials, colors, ornaments, and spatial/sensory impressions at different times of day. Compared to photography the maps painted with acrylic are based on a deepened consciousness where the more substantial characteristics of the interior architecture are extracted from human experience. Villa Petschek, spanning a long arc of history, is full of fantasy, luxury, complexity, and beauty.
Theatrical Baroque (* full documentation is not released to the public right now)
The Canvas Drawing Theatrical Baroque was developed through observations in Prague’s Old Town, its local churches, and the three Petschek Villas. Prague is one of the best preserved historical cities, with hundreds of historic buildings, interiors, and streets. However, often it's brick are black and dirty, tiles are missing, bird poops on sculptures, and most importantly many of the historic buildings only have preserved facades but no landmark interiors. At the same time, heating and cooling, circulation, and safety issues have to be accommodated.
The Canvas Drawing Theatrical Baroque was developed through observations in Prague’s Old Town, its local churches, and the three Petschek Villas. Prague is one of the best preserved historical cities, with hundreds of historic buildings, interiors, and streets. However, often it's brick are black and dirty, tiles are missing, bird poops on sculptures, and most importantly many of the historic buildings only have preserved facades but no landmark interiors. At the same time, heating and cooling, circulation, and safety issues have to be accommodated.
Theatrical Baroque states the system of AR mapping in museum. The map critiques current preservation methodologies in Prague. Setting up in a museum setting, the 6' x 10' map that translates the sensorial and excessive characteristics of a baroque experience in Prague, while at the same time it is rooted in the fantasy of the social and living context. While viewing the map with AR, audience can searching around and see the destruction and construction moments of the material, swiping around Prague photography galleries.
Ornaments might be covered by fly ash; golden silk is delicate. Similar to the architecture, which is formed with walls, windows, and floors, the Theatrical Baroque is formed with multiple components. The rough and dark canvas fabric works as the primary foundation of the drawing; the illusional paint is the structure; the burnt silk is the space; the swanky gold drops work as ornament. The Canvas Drawing constructs a Prague experience with its baroque architecture through the senses. In this circumstance the Canvas Drawing is a call for the contemporary museum: as participants of culture, art, and history we can tell the story of theatrical, controversial, within architectural preservation practice with all senses through contemporary art.
It is a experiment to evolve all history, characteristics, but also human activities via sound, interaction, art, videography and projection in one mapping system. It a step away from just placing a clean baroque chair against a white museum wall for the sake of public education.
