¡ MAINTENANCE ! [a proposition for future architectures]

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ResearchBackground:¡MAINTENANCE! [a proposition for future architectures] was a project commissioned and curated by the Oslo Architecture Triennale 2019 and received funding from the Australian Council for the Arts. The Triennale explored the architecture of a new economy in which human and ecological flourishing matter most – the architecture of degrowth. James’ project was presented in the National Museum of Architecture as part of ‘The Library’ exhibition alongside sixty international creative practitioners. ResearchContribution:¡MAINTENANCE! [a proposition for future architectures] incorporated a collaboration with the contracted cleaner at the National Museum of Architecture. Together he and James collected material found throughout the Museum questioning the roles of labour and value within the context of contemporary cultures and societies. An audio recording was made of James and the cleaner discussing these ideas and that of similarities in both their practices; as an artist and as a cleaner. James then also worked with a glass blower from the Oslo University and a furniture designer, constructing a table and glass vitrines to display their found material. The resulting detritus reassembled within the context of an institution, opens up new relations encountered through its temporal, material and spatial qualities. The work also reflect on a thread of contemporary design practice that investigates the labour involved in research and a focused analysis of physical materials neglected in cultural development. The project extends James’ research practice, contributing new understandings of material engagement with site. ResearchSignificance:Curated into the Oslo Architecture Triennale, James’ project makes a significant international contribution to ideas and conversations explored through the Triennale’s thematic. The Triennale has also been reviewed by Wallpaper and Archdaily magazines, with a curated selection of essays commissioned by e-Flux journal.