Christoph 'kabru' Kaltenbrunner / Group XX, May 05 - Sep 05

GLASS, CONCRETE AND STONE, IT'S JUST A HOUSE NOT A HOME

9/23/05 to 9/25/05

MAK Center at the Mackey Apartments, 1137 - 1141 South Cochran Avenue, Los Angeles, CA

Since 1994, Christoph Kaltenbrunner, alias kabru, has been a part of the Vienna-based propeller z, along with partners Kriso Leinfellner, Philipp Tschofen, Carmen Wiederin, and Korkut Akkalay. propeller z works in a variety of fields, ranging from architecture, interior design, exhibition/set design, and graphic design to experimental work. At the Mackey Apartments, kabru presented "A Dearth of Resources as (Design) Innovation." It was not uncommon for political circumstances—such as war, customs and trade relationships—to restrict the use of certain materials. During World War II, the manufacturing of armaments restricted access to metals. One result was the innovative use of plywood by mid-Century architects and designers, including Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, Friedrich Kiesler, and Rudolph Schindler. Kaltenbrunner investigated the historic and current uses of plywood, focusing on designs by Charles and Ray Eames, the architecture of the Case Study Houses, and aeronautics uses by Howard Hughes. He exhibited the results of his research through digital presentation, diagrams, sketches, and found plywood samples.